With his first week in office behind him, S.C. Leg. DuWayne Gregory (D-Amityville) announced that he has made some headway on a major issue. His office has obtained $392,000 in funding from the county's sales tax revenues for the Amityville Police Department, even as negotiations continue between the county and municipalities that are challenging the distribution formula. "They are still working to resolve the matter and reach a settlement on the question," said Gregory. "But this level of funding is important to get to the Village because it provides funding for the police district right now—money for officers and public safety throughout Amityville." The money, which is for the fiscal year 2007, had been held because the Village had not provided the county with documentation to show how the previous year's funding had been spent, according to Gregory.

The sales tax revenue program was adopted in the 1990s. As the cost of police services rose dramatically, the county asked the state to permit Suffolk to set aside one eighth of one percent of the total sales tax revenues generated in Suffolk for public safety. Until that time, the total cost of police services was funded by real property taxes. The state approved the change, and a verbal agreement was struck, setting aside some of that money for the departments outside of the police district. During the intervening years, the county added a measure requiring that the towns and villages receiving the sales tax revenue provide documentation that proved the money was used for public safety and that became a formal proposal with standards in 2002. Issuance of the following year's revenues would be withheld unless the county received that documentation. In 1998, however, the county put all of that sales tax revenue into the Suffolk County Police budget. Leading lawmakers at the time who represented the East End, which is outside of the Police District, amended the charter, mandating the equal distribution and codifying it. Over the past four years, however, the county failed to abide by the law, according to S.C. Leg. Jay Schneiderman of the East End. While the amount of each department received increased as sales tax revenues rose, the totals represented less than the one-eighth of one percent that they were due under the county's own law, he said. As a result, Schneiderman initiated a lawsuit against the county last year to force it to abide by its own charter. Joining that suit were local municipalities who have their own police departments, including Amityville. That was met by a move on the part of the majority of lawmakers whose districts are within the County Police District, to consider a proposal to change the county charter. "We formed a committee to resolve the issue and it was agreed that we would pull the lawsuit and the county would not change the charter," said Schneiderman. "We also agreed to form a committee of 8 people, four selected by the Presiding Officer and four by me, that would get together and negotiate a settlement." Selected by Presiding Officer Bill Lindsay were, in addition to himself, Arthur Cliff of Sayville, John Gallagher, a former S.C. Police Commissioner and Michael Cavanagh of Hauppauge. In addition to Schneiderman, three others were selected: Linda Kabot, Supervisor, South Hampton; Paul Rickenbach, Mayor, Village of East Hampton and Peter T. Imbert, Mayor, Amityville. "In some ways the County's decision to revise the charter could be considered a form of blackmail against us," said Schneiderman. "But at this point we want to work together and resolve this amicably." He said he hopes to have the first meeting within the next few weeks. In related matters, Leg. Gregory said that he and his staff are actively searching for a new site for the legislative office. Located now on Dixon Avenue, Amityville. Gregory said he is looking at sites in Amityville Village, Copiague and North Amityville.

"I just feel that it is right for me to relocate and have an office that is identified as my own," said Gregory. He anticipated that it would be several months before he locates a suitable facility and is able to move. The county holds a lease on the site through 2011 and payed approximately $42,994 in rent on the property in 2008.