Nassau lawmakers approve $4.6 billion spending plan, with Democrats objecting

Nassau legislators adopted County Executive Bruce Blakeman's $4.6 billion operating budget for 2027 on Friday along party lines, amid Democrats in the minority airing concerns of relying on reserve funds without addressing ongoing structural deficits.

The vote was 11 to 8 after a final, hourlong budget hearing, during which the county's Republican lawmakers asked no questions. Eighteen of the 19 members of the county legislature are on the ballot this year with Blakeman, also a Republican, who is challenging Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. 

The budget, for the fifth consecutive year, keeps the county property tax levy flat but relies on rainy-day funds to plug an annual deficit, as well as savings from a voluntary retirement program instituted earlier this year that reduced the county's workforce by hundreds of positions. 

The spending plan now heads to the county's state-appointed fiscal watchdog, the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, for final approval. The group in a recent report warned the county’s financial future is "strained" because of the $43.5 million from the county's reserve fund used to balance the budget. 

Legis. Howard Kopel (R-Lawrence), the majority leader and presiding officer, credited Blakeman with "prudent fiscal management," highlighting his administration's ability to reduce the county's long-term debt and improve its credit ratings. 

"I am confident this budget provides the necessary resources to sustain the county operations. Any budget is a snapshot in time — it contains both risks and opportunities," Kopel said in his opening statement. 

But Democrats called the plan "fiscally irresponsible." They asked Blakeman's budget director why he hadn't advanced their proposed county "gas-tax holiday" to help drivers who are paying more for fuel, and they peppered him with questions about staffing cuts to critical departments such as social services and 911 call centers, and the rise in spending on private law firms to handle county litigation. 

"We cannot support a budget that balances the books by unbalancing the future," said Legis. Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove), the minority leader, before the vote. "This budget takes $43.5 million from our reserves to paper over a structural problem." 

DeRiggi-Whitton said departments are "depleted to a point where constituents are getting diminished returns." The county budgeted for 596 employees in the social services department, which as of September had a head count of 467, according to budget documents. 

When asked to respond to concerns, Blakeman said Democrats say they want to reduce spending but "have provided no solutions to the issues that face the taxpayers."

Blakeman also said the county has reduced its liability in lawsuits "by tens of millions of dollars" since he took office in 2022.

"I hire the best law firms that specialize in lawsuits that people bring against the county," Blakeman said, speaking to reporters outside the Nassau County Bar Association in Mineola. "We are no longer an easy entity to sue."

As previously reported in Newsday, Blakeman expects to take in $1.7 billion in sales tax revenue, up $68.9 million from the current year.

Sales tax is the county's largest revenue stream, with property tax in second. The budget factors in additional revenue of about $360 million in state aid and $247.5 million in federal aid. Current reserves stand at $740 million.

Newsday's Joseph Ostapiuk contributed to this story. 

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.