Nassau legislators OK Executive Bruce Blakeman's $4.4B budget, with all Democrats opposed

Nassau County legislators on Thursday adopted a $4.4 billion operating budget for 2026, with Republicans exercising their majority power in supporting County Executive Bruce Blakeman's proposal without any changes, while the entire Democratic caucus rejected it. 

The vote was 11-7 due to one vacant Republican seat on the 19-member legislature. 

The spending plan keeps the county portion of the property tax levy flat and funds 68 new positions, bringing the total budgeted workforce of the county to 7,585 while relying on county reserves to fund operating expenses. 

Blakeman, a Republican, submitted his preliminary budget on Sept. 15 for the legislature to approve. After two hourslong budget hearings earlier in October, legislators met for about 15 minutes for the Thursday morning vote. The budget now requires the final approval of the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, the state-appointed panel that oversees the county's fiscal position. The panel expects to vote later in November, according to a NIFA official.

With less than a week before Election Day, the party-line vote highlights the deep division on the legislature. Democrats voiced concern about inflated revenue projections and the use of reserves. Republicans defended the Blakeman administration's record on fiscal discipline, citing upgrades from Wall Street credit-rating agencies.

Blakeman is running for reelection against challenger Seth Koslow, a Democratic legislator from Merrick, along with countywide races for district attorney, comptroller and clerk. There are also 19 county legislative races.     

"Any budget, obviously, has risks and opportunities and many of them have been flagged by Legislative Budget Review, the Comptroller's Office as well as NIFA," Presiding Officer Legis. Howard Kopel (R-Lawrence) said in his opening statement. Kopel continued to tout Blakeman and Republican lawmakers' financial decisions by pointing to growth in reserve accounts and a decline in the county's long-term liabilities. 

"Our County Executive Bruce Blakeman has a really great, demonstrated track record," Kopel said. 

Drawing on reserves

But NIFA analysts in a report released earlier this week called the budget "extremely concerning, with its near-term position propped up by a one-shot infusion of resources from reserves."

The NIFA analysis points to the county's use of $488.1 million of its $729.6 million held in several reserve funds, earmarked for specific purposes. While the report acknowledges the county had built up these reserves with the intention to use them as needed, it also says the county "should not use reserve funds to pay routine expenses, but rather as a backstop to fund extraordinary or unexpected expenditures."

A report released by the county's Office of Legislative Budget Review doubles down on NIFA's warning, suggesting that after 2026 "subsequent budgets won’t have as many reserves to rely on."

"Expenses will need to be curtailed, especially if revenues continue to dwindle," OLBR officials wrote. 

OLBR's analysis identified $225.1 million in risks, offset by $80.2 million in opportunities, resulting in a net risk of $144.8 million for 2026. The agency pointed to collective bargaining agreements with employee unions that will need to be renegotiated as well as uncertainty in federal funding and the potential for a decline in sales tax revenue. 

Sales tax revenue is the county's largest single revenue stream, making up about 45% of all money coming into the county. 

Criticism from Koslow

Koslow, who spoke on behalf of Democratic legislators, publicly eviscerated Republicans sitting across the dais, accusing them of "rubber-stamping" Blakeman's budget without asking a single question in any of the budget hearings.       

"He’s balancing the books on quicksand, looks solid for a moment, until taxpayers sink right through it," said Koslow, reading from a prepared statement before the vote. "Our job is to protect taxpayers, not rubber-stamp reckless budgeting. This budget drains reserves, hides risks, and weakens the services families rely on." 

Budget documents show of the 68 newly created positions, more than 50 are in the police department, bringing the force to 3,458 for 2026, with two new police academy classes each with 100 recruits. As of early September there were 212 vacancies in the department with a headcount of 3,246.

 Included in the budget is a buyout program for county workers with 10 or more years of experience aimed at producing a $27 million savings. The program, however, is pending signed agreements with the county's employee unions and a vote by the legislature. The buyout is on top of $10 million the county already sees in savings annually from attrition.

The county employed 7,174 full-time workers as of early September, more than 400 below what has been budgeted for 2026, according to documents. About 52% of the county's spending is on personnel, according to the budget, for whom benefits are expected to increase by $127.8 million, OLBR's report shows.  

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.