Spin Cycle

If Suffolk's 300 exempt employees take a pay freeze next year, so will new Legis. Brian Beedenbender.

The Centereach Democrat made the vow during the legislature's budget committee meeting when lawmakers were considering a revised $65-million cutback plan to close the county's $150-million budget shortfall.

The freshman lawmaker asked analysts from the Office of Budget Review how he can accomplish the cut, saying he wanted it to go back into county coffers rather than go to charity. He said if aides have to take a cut "I would not be able to look them in the eye if I didn't take a cut too."

Another Democratic lawmaker, Kate Browning (WF-Shirley), said all elected officials should include themselves in the 3-percent freeze scheduled for next year, to avoid "creating different classes of employees," who will resent the move.

Rick Brand