Blakeman and Nassau Democrats pointed fingers in delays bankrolling $429M capital budget. But millions were already left on the table.

Between new pickleball courts, maintenance on the community college HVAC system, road repaving and "streetscapes," Nassau County's capital plan is an ever-changing wish list negotiated by the county executive and legislators, paid for with borrowed money.

The county recently passed a measure to borrow $429 million for the new and ongoing projects following a protracted squabble between Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Democratic legislators, but a Newsday analysis found more than $658 million in approved borrowing for many of these existing projects on the list went unused for years.

Newsday's review of the capital budget — which involved matching ongoing projects in the most recent borrowing request legislators approved last month with the county executive's 2025-28 capital plan — is bringing fresh scrutiny to a fight that spurred a near yearlong delay even as money for a majority of ongoing projects had already been authorized.

Nearly 150 of the 213 projects had so-called "unissued" amounts, meaning money for county projects was approved in prior capital budget cycles, but for various reasons was not released. This put the next phase for these projects in limbo, even as some of them — particularly those for the police department and first responders — were held up by Republicans and Democrats as examples of the other side ignoring critical public needs.

Bonding for projects

Big infrastructure projects are often paid for through the issuance of municipal bonds, backed by the county's revenue stream such as the property and sales tax money collected from residents and consumers. 

Lawrence Levy, executive dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University, said money gets moved around all the time in local government for "political or fiscal timing issues as well as a technical or legal problem with a particular project that needs to be worked out."

"As you get closer to an election, the political urgency rises and that's the sort of deadline that tends to focus politicians on both sides of the aisle to finally figure out a way to accomplish something that lets everybody take credit and gives the uber-impression that they can get things done," Levy said. 

The purchase of bulletproof vests for police officers, for example, had gained legislative approval through the capital plan with all of the money used each year until 2021 when the legislature allowed the administration of former County Executive Laura Curran to spend $400,000, of which $164,795 was borrowed and spent, leaving $235,205 of approved funds unused, according to capital plan documents.

The legislature then approved Blakeman's 2023 request for $1.1 million and 2024 request for $1.8 million, but the county never borrowed the money, according to the list of capital projects approved for bonding, the amount legislators approved to borrow, and the amount borrowed for each project.

A project aimed at enhancing the intersection of Uniondale Avenue and Front Street in Hempstead gained approval to bond in 2009 and 2010 with all of the money issued. In 2017, under former County Executive Ed Mangano, a Republican, the legislature approved a bond ordinance to spend $2 million for that intersection, of which $250,000 was borrowed, leaving $1.75 million unissued.

Democrats say there is no excuse for not using all the funds for traffic calming measures and main street improvements in Uniondale, Hempstead and Roosevelt that have been on the books with approvals for years.

“Blakeman has sat on years of approved funding for traffic, pedestrian safety, parks, first responders, and community projects — especially in underserved areas represented by Democratic legislators," Minority Leader Legis. Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove) told Newsday. "Approving funds means nothing if they never get spent, leaving taxpayers’ money locked away while these communities fall further behind. This isn’t just negligence; it’s a betrayal of the public trust and a clear refusal to deliver on promises to those who pay their fair share."

Blakeman did not respond to multiple emails, telephone calls and text messages seeking comment on whether spending on capital projects was at risk of delays and why he and Democrats could not have compromised sooner.

Why the delays?

Local governments don't always fund their public works projects in real time and there is no indication work has stopped. Delays in getting contracts approved, hiring vendors and shifting priorities are some reasons lawmakers might ask to approve funding but not borrow and spend the money.

County Budget Director Andy Persich said the county legislature's approval to borrow for the capital plan is project-specific and can't be transferred.

"Because of this, if one project is moving more slowly than anticipated, and another project is moving more quickly, we cannot reassign the bond ordinances from one project to another," Persich said. "You can’t look at the total authorized because it’s project specific."

But getting the votes to allow county officials to secure financing gets particularly fraught when the county executive and all 19 legislators are up for reelection — as they are this year. 

Blakeman had sparred with Democrats before the two sides ultimately agreed to unlock taxpayer money to advance yearslong county road, sewer, parks and building projects as well as police gear and government computer systems contained in the 603-page capital plan book released in October 2024.

Democrats, whom Republicans outnumber 12 to 7 on the Nassau County Legislature, vowed in July 2024 to withhold the 13th vote needed for a supermajority to approve county bonding. The protracted fight came to a head in March with dueling newsconferences inside the Theodore Roosevelt County Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola.

Republicans on the legislature over the last seven months did assure Democrats they would support funding their projects, largely waiting on the sidelines for them to settle the dispute with Blakeman. 

Waiting game

With persistent political wrangling, some groups have waited years to see required funds come through. 

Among the longest-standing projects approved for borrowing this round for the restoration of a historic grist mill in Roslyn, for which legislators approved $2 million for the final phase of work to be completed this year. The restoration of the Roslyn Grist Mill, located on county property, first gained legislative approval for borrowing in 1998.

Various grants and private fundraising have helped get the work done, according to Howard Kroplick, co-president of the Roslyn Landmark Society, which has been managing the project. The group is hopeful the county will allocate the money soon, he said. 

"The project is moving ahead and we are looking for that $2 million so we can complete the next phase of this restoration — hopefully in 2025 — but we are awaiting information from the county on how we can obtain the money," Kroplick said.

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.