Spencer Selected to Chair Health Committee

Suffolk County Legislator William Spencer has been tapped by Presiding Officer William Lindsay to serve on three very important Legislative Committees in 2012.  Spencer has been named as the Chairman of the Health Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Government Operations, Personnel, Housing and Consumer Protection Committee and a member of Public Safety Committee.  Legislator Spencer’s participation on these committees will serve as an extension of his efforts in his District Office and out in the community to serve the residents of the 18^th Legislative District. 

 “As Chairman of the Health Committee, it will be my responsibility to ensure that the health and well-being of all Suffolk County residents is a priority for the Legislature,” stated Legislator Spencer. “Serving on this very important Committee, will give me the opportunity to lead my colleagues in diagnosing what the pressing issues facing Suffolk residents are and prescribing solutions for them.”

 The Legislature’s Health Committee addresses matters pertaining to the County Department of Health Services and the Divisions of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services, Vector Control, Public Health, Mental Health, Handicapped Services and Emergency Medical Services; the WIC Program; forensic sciences; the John J. Foley Skilled Nursing Facility and the enforcement of the County Sanitary Code, among other things.  The fates of the Foley Nursing Facility and Health Centers have been among the most contentious and financially pressing issues facing the Legislature in the last year.  2012 will prove to be even more difficult, but as a physician, Legislator Spencer has the experience and expertise to tackle these challenges head-on and is eager to do so.

 Equally as important as public health is public safety.  Legislator Spencer has made this one of his highest priorities.  He is eager to forge relationships with the Interim Police Commissioner and has elicited County Executive Steve Bellone’s commitment to improving quality of life and reducing gang activity in our community. Serving on the Legislature’s Public Safety Committee will afford Legislator Spencer the opportunity to participate in public safety policy decisions affecting all county residents. 

Legislator Spencer will serve his constituents well as the Vice Chair of the Government Operations, Personnel, Housing and Consumer Protection Committee.  Layoffs are looming as a possible solution to Suffolk County’s budget woes. With low consumer confidence and high unemployment, serving on this committee will enable Legislator Spencer to consider real solutions to these problems.

Story by Lora Gellerstein, Chief Legislative Aide