Mangano proposes $2.793B budget for 2013

Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano last night proposed a $2.793 billion budget for 2013.

Mangano issued a news release and a letter to county residents without details of his spending and revenue projections. The release noted that for the third year in a row, Mangano has delivered a spending plan with no property tax increases.

"This budget protects families and seniors while also paving the way for continued economic growth by holding the line on property taxes . . . and by restricting spending so that we never return to the poor fiscal policies of the past," Mangano said in the release.

Last year, Mangano proposed a $2.63 billion budget for 2012. The final budget passed by the legislature totaled $2.8 billion, the legislative clerk said Monday. Comptroller George Maragos projects that the county will end 2012 with a $45 million deficit.

Legislative Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport) said Monday that he and minority Democrats "plan to thoroughly review the budget once we finally receive it. But if Mr. Mangano's past budgets of irresponsible mismanagement are any indication, we are not optimistic that this budget will do anything to put Nassau on a path to solid fiscal ground."

The 10-9 Republican majority and the Democrats have been at odds over a GOP-proposed redistricting plan for the legislature that could eliminate three Democratic seats. Partially as a result, Democrats have refused to provide the votes for the two-thirds majority necessary to approve borrowing to pay millions of dollars in property tax refunds.

Administration officials said the county workforce has shrunk by about 1,780 employees, to 7,395, since Mangano took office in 2010. Since June 2011, 400 Civil Service Employees Association members have been laid off while another 380 retired with incentives. Nearly 100 county police officers took a retirement incentive in March.

The legislature also has approved fee increases for traffic fines and services including transportation of accident victims by police helicopter.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone is expected to submit his 2013 budget this week.