'Slap in the face': Suffolk nonprofit youth groups lose $107G for services

Six nonprofits that provide youth services across Suffolk County will begin summer without funding for what they see is vital programming after legislators voted down a bill Tuesday to restore over $107,000 in contracts.

Legislators voted down a resolution to restore the funding at Tuesday’s Budget and Finance Committee meeting, effectively ending a monthslong push by groups to have the funding brought back.

The defunded services centered on career training and mentorship programs largely focused in Suffolk's minority communities. Some of those programs may be offered to fewer students or be canceled, the nonprofit leaders say.

County officials said the organizations can seek to have funding restored in the 2026 budget and Legis. Jason Richberg (D-West Babylon), the bill sponsor, said he plans one more push to restore the funding this year.

Brendan Sweeney, the county’s director of intergovernmental relations, told legislators the Youth Bureau department, which doles out the money, conducted a countywide "needs assessment" that led it to reallocate funding in the 2025 budget to areas of greater need.

Sweeney explained part of why the county denied funds came after officials uncovered several issues with the contracts, such as organizations not fully spending the money and some services that were unavailable to all county residents, as examples. Sweeney did not name any specific organization.

But the nonprofit leaders said this was news to them, adding they’ve been left in the dark as to what specific issues the county may have uncovered that have not been addressed.

Richberg said it was the first time he was hearing some accusations leveled against the nonprofits, even after he met Friday with the county executive’s office to discuss the bill.

Legis. Steven Flotteron (R-Brightwaters), the deputy presiding officer, said there were "multiple contract discrepancies with the agencies" dating back to budget meetings last fall.

He and Legis. Dominick Thorne (R-Patchogue) both said they can’t vote to advance the bill if there are any outstanding issues with any one of the six organizations listed in the resolution.

"We need to take each agency at their own merit and deal with whatever issues they have," Thorne said.

Richberg and Legis. Tom Donnelly (D-Deer Park) were the only committee members to vote in favor of the bill.

Before the vote, the nonprofit leaders advocated for their cause once again.

Ron Fisher, board president of the Patchogue-based Latina advocacy group Sepa Mujer, told legislators his organization has been working with the county for years and the funding cut "feels like a total slap in the face."

Bishop E. Edward Robinson II of the Long Island Breakthrough Chapel in Coram, said his organization works with youth on workforce development, job skills and training and financial literacy advocacy. He said the center is open from 4-8 p.m. during critical after-school hours.

"These funds help our center stay open so that we can continue to provide these essential services," he said, adding that the loss of funding "really puts these families in jeopardy."

By Joe Werkmeister

joe.werkmeister@newsday.com

Joe Werkmeister covers the towns of Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.

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