Bruce Blakeman's $4.1B budget clears Nassau Legislature

The Nassau County Legislature on Monday unanimously approved County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s $4.1 billion budget for 2024 after Republicans rejected a Democratic bid to cut the property tax levy by $128 million, hire 100 additional police officers and boost staffing in the Inspector General's office. 

Republicans, who hold a 12-7 majority, adopted their own amendment to the spending plan that adds 10 police officers, four superior officers and two assistant district attorneys. 

The budget does not include a rise or reduction in property taxes. It raises county spending by $180 million over last year's adopted budget and, with the Republican amendment, includes hiring 30 more police officers.

Democrats had proposed using $128 million from county reserves to reduce the property tax levy, including about $100 million in a projected 2023 surplus due to better than expected sales tax receipts and unappropriated pandemic aid from the American Rescue Plan Act. The plan would have resulted in  a $400 cut in county property taxes for the average household.

The Democratic amendment would have thrown county finances out of balance, Presiding Officer Richard J. Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park) said Monday during a three-hour budget hearing that had several contentious moments.

Andrew Persich, Nassau's budget director, said the county should not use its reserve funds to cover the tax cut. The county had about $1 billion in reserves as of July.

Nassau has large financial obligations, including hundreds of millions of dollars in tax refunds due to commercial and residential property owners, Persich said.

"The theme is we still owe people money, and we still need money in the budget to fund those liabilities that are out there. That's what we're trying to do by keeping the budget fiscally sound," Persich said. "This is creating more structural deficit in the out years, and this is going to be a problem for us."

The Democratic amendment could result in less funding for positions that are currently vacant, but funded, in the budget, Persich told legislators.

Persich said the amendment could reduce funding for positions in several departments: 21 members of the police department, 60 detectives and 30 employees in the district attorney's office.

The debate grew heated after Legis. Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport), the minority leader, called such characterizations "complete falsehoods." 

"You'll have an opportunity to speak," Nicolello said. As Abrahams continued speaking, Nicolello told him he was "out of order."

Abrahams argued Republicans were using "scare tactics" to describe the proposed changes. "You're saying our amendments are reducing detectives [by] 60 positions?"

"Why can't you control yourself for a few minutes?" Nicolello said to Abrahams.

"I'm not going to allow you guys to cascade falsehoods as it pertains to public safety," Abrahams said. "Our budget amendments actually call for 100 additional police officers."

Nicolello said Abrahams' math was the result of "a game that you're playing" with the budget. He said the "net effect" of Democrats' changes would cut funding for dozens of county positions.

Another Democratic proposal would have boosted funding to the Inspector General's office by nearly $600,000 to hire more auditors, analysts and investigative attorneys to review more of the county's vendor contracts.

The budget will go to the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, the county's financial control board, for final approval. Blakeman, a Republican, will sign the amended budget if NIFA approves it, according to his spokeswoman, Alyssa Lark.

NIFA issued an analysis of the budget last week that says Nassau could have revenue shortfalls of up to $71.8 million in the new fiscal year.

Nassau is on track to have a surplus of between $72.5 million and $76.4 million this year, NIFA said.

NIFA officials said they worry about future years, when the county could face sales tax shortfalls and hundreds of millions of dollars in tax certiorari payments.

The county could face deficits of around $200 million in 2026 and 2027, the report said.

“From my perspective, coming into this toward the end of the budget process, the county has made progress and they deserve credit for that,” said NIFA chairman Richard Kessel, who assumed the role earlier this month. “All around, things have gotten better, but there are storm clouds on the horizon.”

By Scott Eidler

scott.eidler@newsday.com@ScottEidler

Scott Eidler is a deputy editor for the towns department at Newsday. Scott has worked at Newsday since 2012 and previously covered municipal government and education.