Previously in the majority, the Democrats in the Suffolk Legislature are led by Minority Leader Jason Richberg of the 15th District. The Wyandanch lawmaker took some time to talk about his priorities with the South Shore Press.
“My number one responsibility here in this office is to advocate for the residents,” Richberg said. “My job is to connect the people with the right resources and solve problems,” he said, referring to the “kitchen table issues” that most of his constituents need help with. Helping people get past “governmentese” when trying to get services on the county, state, and federal levels is one of Richberg’s specialties. “I interpret the language of government for people when they’re trying to apply for a program, for example, or look for a grant. I want to set them up for success.”
Richberg said his constituents come to his office for any number of reasons: help with a utility problem, the Department of Labor, Office of the Aging, Veterans Affairs, a contractor, a drainage problem in their neighborhood, to name a few. “They may have an issue with speeding on their street, more police presence–we figure out how we can help.”
The legislator spoke proudly of a Youth Caucus that meets at his office twice a month. “We’re training them for leadership roles; we conduct mock interviews, help them with their presentation skills, create slide decks; they will be interviewed for a scholarship or to get into a college; we want to prepare them for that.”
On the legislative side, Richberg said a high priority is making sure the county is fiscally sound. “I don’t want to spend down the reserve fund and I want to make sure we have more access to funds via the state and federal governments. I want to build strong partnerships with our towns and villages so we can make the best decisions for each community, make sure Suffolk County remains a great place to live, work, and play.”
Richberg also stressed the need to address the county’s infrastructure such as maintaining a clean drinking water supply. He noted that sewers were promised to his community when his grandfather moved there in 1960 and they’re just starting to be built. About 70% of the county is not served by sewers and the legislator said he would like to see a referendum put on the ballot that would create a countywide sewer district and increase the sales tax an eighth of a percent for wastewater treatment. He didn't specify where he stands on the 50-50 mix that’s being considered for the split between new funding for sewers and private cesspools.
“We need to protect our drinking water, we need to protect our aquifer, but there are some areas where it's going to be harder to sewer than others. We have to figure out where we're gonna put sewer treatment plants; where to put in the pump stations, everything that’s involved. Where we can’t do sewers for a variety of reasons, we should do alternative wastewater systems. I don't think we should be pitting either technology against each other.” The legislator pointed out that while there are state and federal monies available for sewers, that’s not the case for private cesspool upgrades.
Looking ahead, Richberg said a major issue in 2024 is the expiring of a dozen labor contracts with county employees. “I think we need to be looking at the wages of all of our employees in terms of are we being competitive with other localities? We need to look at how we are reaching out to folks to pursue civil service careers,” he said, adding that the priority should be on the STEM fields. “We need environmental engineers, sewage treatment operators, offshore wind technicians, budget analysts–a multiple set of talents. Training is important; we need to connect these folks to fields here on Long Island so they can stay here.” As an example of a forward-looking program, the minority leader pointed to Farmingdale College’s Pathways in Technology program that starts students on career paths while they’re still in high school.
Richberg said another focus is grants for gun violence programs and funds for quality of life issues outside of the $1 trillion federal Infrastructure Bill and the state’s $4.2 billion Environmental Bond Act. “We need water quality grants, programs to protect our aquifer, funds for kelp planting and seaweed to make sure our bays and waterways are clean. These are not necessarily the sexiest things people talk about, and you might not know the impact, but they are important.”
On the migrant issue, Richberg urges the U.S. Senate, the House and President Biden to work together on finding solutions. “This has been something that's been going on since literally before I was born,” he said. “The House has the power of the purse, right? We could have more judges to adjudicate some of these cases of folks who are coming in. We could have the funds to do the work that needs to be done. But I don't think we should be using people in any way, shape or form as political pawns. I don't think that's right; I don't think that's what we should aspire to do as Americans. I think we should be figuring out ways that we can work collaboratively to get these answers, and the answers really come from our federal government to solve the problem.”
Richberg has been in the legislature since 2020 and has been the head of the Democrat Caucus for three years. A native Long Islander, he began his government career in 2010, when he was named chief of staff to Suffolk Legislator DuWayne Gregory. He has since served as both deputy clerk and clerk of the legislature. “As the minority leader and being part of the county leadership, my job is not just to be the voice of my colleagues, but the community as a whole,” he said. “We need to make sure all voices are brought to the table and then be listened to and respected. And that's my job. My job is to make sure that we are building coalitions where we can, but also making sure that we're holding the majority and the rest of the county accountable for the work that's being done.”