Legislators voted to approve Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone's budget Wednesday, which includes raising taxes and fees for county residents.

County Comptroller John Kennedy says the spending plan has flaws, including asking the state to borrow funds to pay an estimated $26.7 million in unused sick and vacation pay to retiring police.

"It's a terrible municipal budgetary practice," says Kennedy. "Basically, when you have to bond operating expense, you're akin to complete catastrophic failure."

Some Suffolk lawmakers pointed out that the state is unlikely to allow the county to borrow that money, so the Legislature also passed an amendment Wednesday night. The amendment would add a line to the budget to acknowledge the $26.7 million in the hope that the money can come from elsewhere, like concessions from the unions.

"It forces the county executive to take assertive action with the union to seek some sort of relief for us to meet our obligations, and it puts the unions in the position of having to sit down with them and discuss those same type of issues," says Legislator Kevin McCaffrey (R - Lindenhurst).

The budget is set to add a $300 mortgage fee and raise police district taxes for residents in Babylon, Huntington, Smithtown, Islip and Brookhaven by about $43.