Nassau County's $4.2B budget plan keeps taxes flat, boosts funding for early intervention programs

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s proposed $4.2 billion budget for next year — which keeps property taxes flat and boosts funding for early intervention programs — cleared two legislative committees on Monday.

Legislators on the Finance Committee unanimously voted in favor of advancing the budget-related resolutions but those on the Rules Committee were split with four Republicans voting ‘yes’ and three Democrats abstaining.

The proposed budget is pending the approval of the full, 19-member legislature. Republicans hold a 12-7 majority in the Nassau County legislature.

The committee votes launch a series of hearings and political wrangling before the Oct. 30 deadline to adopt a county operating budget.

While the proposed budget keeps the county’s portion of residents’ property taxes flat, it also assumes no growth in the county’s sales tax revenue, which makes up 45% of all county revenue.

Democratic Minority Leader Legis. Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove), ranking member in the Rules Committee, said members of her caucus abstained because they had not yet finished their analysis of the budget proposal.

But she noted in a statement before the meeting that "for the third straight year, his budget proposal falls short of the promises he made to hardworking Nassau residents."

"His campaign was built on two simple commitments: to cut taxes and fees, and to fix the broken assessment system. Yet, after three budgets, he has delivered on neither," DeRiggi-Whitton said.

Blakeman did not immediately return messages seeking comment on his budget proposal.

In his letter formally presenting his budget to legislators, he said the proposed budget "maintained fiscal stability by keeping sales tax growth flat compared to the 2024 forecast. This prudent approach allows us to maintain fiscal discipline while continuing to meet our obligations and fund essential services."

Blakeman’s budget funds 38 new full-time positions, mostly in the areas of law enforcement and health and human services, bringing the county personnel head count to 7,517.

The proposal sets aside two police cadet classes and two correction officer classes for a total of 206 new hires to offset expected attrition through retirements, according to the 2025 budget’s executive summary. Nassau has budgeted for 2,576 sworn police officers.

Blakeman also is committing an additional $22 million — up to $185 million — for early intervention and preschool services for children who require speech, occupational and physical therapies before they begin kindergarten.

In February, Newsday reported providers of these services were reimbursed at a rate that was among the lowest in the state, with payments for half-hour sessions remaining unchanged since 1999.

Two months later, Blakeman announced he would raise the average rate per half-hour from $40 to $50.

 Also on Monday, the Nassau legislature approved several appointments to key county departments.

Joseph Adamo, who Blakeman installed as acting county assessor in January, gained the approval of the Republican caucus to become the county’s permanent assessor.. The vote to confirm him was 12-7.

Adamo started the job on Jan. 2 with a salary of $140,000. During 45 minutes of questioning, he told legislators he completed six of seven courses necessary to be a certified assessor and is "weeks away" from taking the final exam for certification. 

Jose Lopez, who has been the county's acting commissioner of the Department of Social Services since May, gained unanimous, bipartisan approval as the permanent hire to lead the agency.

He formerly served as Nassau County Parks Commissioner during the administration of Democrat Tom Suozzi and as deputy parks chief under former Republican County Executive Edward Mangano.

Legislators also unanimously approved the appointment of Long Beach Republican Committee Chairman James V. Moriarty as new Republican Board of Election Commissioner.

They also unanimously approved a separate resolution raising the salary for election commissioners from $180,000 to $210,000, which impacts both Moriarty and Democratic Board of Election Commissioner James Scheuerman.

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.