Bellone Makes Rare Appearance at Legislature

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Outgoing County Executive Steve Bellone made a rare appearance at the Suffolk Legislature Tuesday, taking the mic to lobby for his bill to address the county’s cybersecurity footing in the wake of the September 2022 attack that paralyzed government operations for months.

Bellone’s plan was tabled by the lawmakers, who won’t meet again until next year when he’s succeeded by Edward Romaine, who will transition into the county seat from his post as Brookhaven supervisor January 1. Romaine has put operations of Suffolk’s Department of Information Technology in the center of his radar as issues to address when he assumes the county’s top administrative position.

“We thought he was coming in to say goodbye, thank the legislators for their work with him over the years, a swan song perhaps,” said one observer. “But he came in to lobby for his bill, which is rare for a county executive.”

Bellone’s measure would consolidate responsibility for county computer systems and cybersecurity into DoIT, actions legislators believed are premature as a report by a special committee investigating the 2022 cyberattack is pending. Suffolk officials elected countywide also balked at the measure, not wanting to give up responsibility for their operations.