Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is scheduled to present his annual State of the County address Wednesday evening, offering residents the chance to hear how he plans to tackle a range of issues this year.

His address at the Peter J. Schmitt Memorial Legislative Chamber in Mineola comes on the heels of announcing a run for reelection, in which he is expected to face off against County Legis. Seth Koslow (D-South Merrick).

"I will continue to fight to keep Nassau County safe, healthy and affordable just as I have done for the past three years by leading with common sense, diligence and compassion," Blakeman told Newsday on Tuesday.

Lawrence Levy, executive dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University, said the tone of these kinds of addresses can be different when the county executive is running for reelection, doubling as a stump speech.

"Regardless of party, the narrative is focused, like the proverbial laser, on getting the official reelected," said Levy, adding the content could be "a mix of more highly partisan ‘red meat’ to rally their conservative or liberal bases, often on social issues, but with enough soothing, people-oriented positions to moderate swing voters needed to actually win."

Last year, Blakeman updated Nassau County residents on his goals for 2024 that focused on the tax assessment system, immigration and developing the nation’s most lucrative casino. Newsday looked at the status of some of Blakeman’s priorities.

Taxes

WHAT HE SAID: Blakeman made clear in last year’s speech that he would not increase taxes for Nassau residents.

"There will be no tax increase for 2024. There will be no tax increase for the next three years," he said.

"Despite the fact that we have record high inflation, we are managing the county in a prudent way, and we are doing things that we know will increase the tax base so that we don't have to increase property taxes."

WHAT’S BEEN DONE: Blakeman has kept Nassau property taxes flat, continuing on a pattern of leaders who for years have frozen the county’s assessment of property values. He has also kept sales taxes flat.

Opioid funds

WHAT HE SAID: A year ago, Blakeman said the county had allocated more than $13.8 million in opioid funds to various organizations for opioid prevention, treatment, and enforcement. The county could receive $180 million as part of a landmark 2021 court settlement from drug manufacturers, distributors and retailers.

"And that money is being put to good use," Blakeman said during his 2024 speech. "There are those who say we should take the $90 million and just spend it. No. We are taking a very measured, methodical and important choice to make sure that whoever gets these funds uses them in the right way."

WHAT’S BEEN DONE: In 2024, $3 million, or 0.2%, of the fund was spent, according to an online tracker available through the Nassau County Comptroller’s Office.

The county’s Department of Human Services commissioner, Jill Nevin, in a presentation to the county legislature on Feb. 24 said more than $36 million has been awarded to various groups to address the opioid crisis. The funds are being distributed in phases, she said.

Advocates, Democrats and families of those who fatally overdosed have criticized the Blakeman administration for what they called the slow pace of spending the money as the opioid crisis continues, with more than 650 people dying of deadly overdoses on Long Island last year, Newsday previously reported.

"Many of the not-for-profits that have made their awards are going through the process of being approved and funded," spokesperson Chris Boyle wrote in a statement to Newsday.

Immigration

WHAT HE SAID: Blakeman vowed in last year’s speech to continue to "fight back against this foreign invasion" that had run unchecked due to the nation’s "porous borders." He described "unvetted migrants" who commit crimes as "depleting our local resources."

WHAT’S BEEN DONE: Following Donald Trump’s presidential victory in November, Blakeman said that Nassau would support Trump in his mass deportation agenda. "The Nassau County Police Department will cooperate with Customs and Border Patrol, ICE, the FBI and anybody else who wants to make sure that these people are returned to the countries they came from," Blakeman told News 12 Long Island in November.

Last month, he doubled down on his immigration goals by enlisting Nassau in a formal partnership with ICE, assigning 10 police detectives to arrest and help deport immigrants with no legal status. Blakeman is the second county leader in New York to join the so-called 287(g) Program, where ICE deputizes local police to enforce immigration violations.

"If there’s probable cause that someone committed a crime, and they’re here illegally, we will call ICE," Blakeman told Newsday.

Since the program’s launch, Nassau detectives have not made any immigration arrests or referrals to ICE, according to Boyle.

"The Police Department and Sheriffs Department have executed agreements with ICE and officers are in the process of being trained according to federal law. Nassau County is not a sanctuary county and there is no organized migrant program in the county thanks to the efforts of County Executive Blakeman," Boyle wrote in a statement.

Sands casino project

WHAT HE SAID: Blakeman noted the difficulties in developing the county-owned Coliseum site, known as the Nassau Hub and the failures of previous administration’s to turn the 72 acres in Uniondale into an economic engine.

He touted his work in brokering a deal with Las Vegas Sands, a Nevada-based company, that has proposed a multibillion-dollar casino resort on the property with the potential to create thousands of jobs.

"I put forth a proposal that got the backing of almost everybody in the legislature; it passed 17 to 1," Blakeman said. "That proposal would put a world class hotel, entertainment center, convention center, and world class spa and casino here in Nassau County creating thousands of permanent jobs and thousands of construction jobs."

He placed the burden of government approval on state regulators even as the plan could fall through on the local level, before an application to the state is even submitted.

"If the licensing process is fair and even and based on the merits, Nassau County should get that gaming license and we will be the highest-grossing casino in the United States, guaranteed," Blakeman said.

WHAT’S BEEN DONE: While all but Legis. Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove) voted to approve a 99-year construction lease agreement between the county and Sands for the Coliseum site, the approval process in 2024 had to start over after a Nassau State Supreme Court justice in November 2023 voided their votes for violating the state's Open Meetings Law.

In August, the county legislature approved 17-1 a 42-year lease that would give Sands control of the property but does not allow for construction.

"Unfortunately, the state has continuously delayed the application process and third parties have initiated litigation in an attempt to frustrate Nassau County’s ability to successfully bid on a casino," Boyle wrote in a statement. "If the application is based on the merits without political interference, Nassau is confident that the Sands will be awarded a license."

Before the application for a license to open a casino gets to the state government, the county legislature must complete a state-mandated environmental review, the Town of Hempstead must approve the zoning of the area and there needs to be an opinion of a community advisory board.

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