Suozzi breaks silence in 5th L.D. race

County Executive Tom Suozzi has blasted Chris Browne, the Republican and Conservative Party candidate in the 5th Legislative District that includes Rockville Centre, for criticizing the county's recently signed lease deal to construct a new 1st Police Precinct headquarters at the Rosen Shopping Center on Grand Avenue.

Suozzi's comments, made in defense of both the deal and his Democratic ally, Legislator Joe Scannell (D-Baldwin) — who is being challenged by Browne — were his first public remarks about Browne in one of the county's hottest races.

"I'm upset that Mr. Browne, after all these months of building a coalition between police, unions and residents ... there's a lot of work involved to get someone to support this [project]," Suozzi told the Herald, adding that he felt the timing of Browne's comments — made just as the county announced the deal — was inappropriate. "Browne is just being overly political, and it's completely outrageous."

But Browne, a Rockville Centre resident, shot back. "I think the fact that Mr. Suozzi approached a reporter and attempted to malign me or generate what he believed to be some kind of negative press shows that this is election season and Tom Suozzi is doing whatever he can to save Joe Scannell's seat," Browne said. "It shows the level of concern and desperation."

Browne says he does not oppose the 1st Precinct remaining in Baldwin, and that his criticism of the lease between the county and landlord David Rosen — a 30-year deal with the option to renew for an additional 30 years on two acres of property in the shopping center — stems from what he says are unanswered questions about its terms, the cost to taxpayers and the site's close proximity to Baldwin High School, with the potential for suspects to escape from holding cells.