7. Steve Bellone

From his perch high above Hauppauge in the top floor suites of the H. Lee Dennison Building, Babylon’s boy wonder has catapulted himself into the hottest seat in Suffolk County. On a clear day the view is spectacular but Bellone came into office already seeing the storm clouds looming on the horizon. He succeeds one of the most divisive county executives Long Island has seen in decades who apparently did him no favors by leaving Suffolk facing a huge fiscal crisis. Bellone has a stellar record as an economic and environmental trailblazer in his hometown. He’ll need to take it to a higher level to get the county back in the black again. We know he has the vision. Let’s hope the signs get better soon.