Bruce Blakeman: 'Sit down! This is my show!' County executive has tense exchange before his $428M infrastructure plan fails

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman got into a heated exchange with two Democrats hours before the legislature failed to pass a bill needed to fund his $428 million plan toward improvements to roads, parks and police equipment. 

At a news conference ahead of the vote — in which all 12 Republican members voted to approve the plan and all seven Democrats abstained — Blakeman, a Republican, tore into Democrats for not backing the plan that's been in limbo for months. He noted projects that wouldn't get funding included $1.4 million for police officer bulletproof vests, $3 million for new ambulances and $1.5 million for police body cameras. 

Moments after Blakeman spoke, Legis. Seth Koslow (D-Merrick), in attendance and challenging Blakeman in the November county executive race, approached the podium with a contract in hand that would promise funds specific to Democratic districts. Those included CPR devices, protective gear and communication equipment for first responders totaling over $1 million, funds that Blakeman has denied, according to a news release from Democrats. Blakeman did not sign that contract. 

"Sit down! This is my show," Blakeman told Koslow. 

Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove) soon approached the podium with the contract, interrupting Blakeman and asking him to sign it. 

"If you don't sit down you'll be asked to leave," Blakeman said. "Sit down!"

The vote capped off a day of dueling news conferences inside the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola, bringing to a head a monthslong partisan feud that threatens critical, countywide infrastructure funding.

Nassau's capital plan was to begin on Jan. 1, but Blakeman cannot borrow money to execute the plan without Democratic support. Democrats have in the past held up their 13th vote as leverage to get their initiatives through the Republican-controlled legislature. 

Each year the spending plan includes money spread across legislative districts through the county's Community Revitalization Program. In 2024, the Blakeman administration denied Democrats' districts such discretionary spending, including the $1 million for first responders and volunteer firefighters, while funding more than 30 requests in Republican districts.

"We need the 13th vote," said Legis. John Ferretti (R-Levittown) at Monday's legislative meeting. "An abstention is as good as a 'no' vote."

Ferretti, who spoke on behalf of the Republicans, accused the Democratic caucus of denying funding on larger and more important projects over smaller amounts of money. 

Democrats announced in the morning their plans to block funding to the capital plan until Blakeman signs the contract.

 They support the plan and the projects but say Blakeman has intentionally "played politics" since 2023, stalling their requests for earmarks to fund community grants in their districts, known as CRPs, and they do not trust funding will get to their constituents. 

"At the end of the day, he has our agreement. All he has to do is sign it," said DeRiggi-Whitton.  

At the legislative meeting Koslow said Democrats do not believe they can trust Blakeman to evenly distribute future funding. 

"The most ridiculous part of it is that Bruce Blakeman has the gall to look us in the face and call our requests for turnout gear for volunteer firefighters 'pet projects,' " Koslow said.  "Bruce Blakeman continues to break his promises to everybody." 

Shortly after, Presiding Officer Howard Kopel (R-Lawrence) said in a statement that it's the Democrats that have "played politics."

“By blocking these initiatives, they’ve jeopardized key investments in public safety and road improvements that are essential to all residents of Nassau County,” Kopel said.

At the end of the meeting legislators agreed to keep open the option to reconsider the vote, with Democrats pledging to continue negotiations with Blakeman. 

Republican legislators said they would support the Democrats' community grants when the requests are handed down from the county executive's office. 

By Candice Ferrette

candice.ferrette@newsday.comcandiceferrette

Candice Ferrette covers Nassau County government and politics on Long Island. She has been a reporter at Newsday since 2011.