EDITORIAL: Mangano has a tough mission

Edward Mangano starts his job as Nassau County executive with an aura of authenticity and the blessing of being an unknown.

To be successful, he must let this honest-broker style, which rang true in his inaugural speech, define his tenure. Mangano's gifts are his determination, ability to listen and willingness to acknowledge that he doesn't have all the answers. The personality that makes his friends and supporters so loyal will be a great asset in keeping the confidence of the county.

Mangano takes over a county put on the right course by Thomas Suozzi, who arrived in 2001 to find the nation's first postwar suburb in disarray, mismanaged and bled dry by years of shoddy Republican leadership. The young Democrat offered the bold approach and visionary agenda that Nassau needed. But times changed. So did voters' perceptions. His narrow defeat showed he hadn't communicated well enough with voters.

The lesson for Mangano is to keep everyone in the conversation: Candidly explain the serious financial challenges and what is needed to meet them, no matter how unpleasant. He must give the nervous bond-rating agencies the whole picture. Managing the 2010 budget requires skill, and preparing his first one, for 2011, will take a master stroke. His theatrical repeal of Suozzi's energy tax fulfilled a campaign promise, but Mangano still must replace the revenue.

For now, Mangano is focused on what he calls the "granddaddy" of the county's fiscal problems, its chaotic tax assessment system. Fixing it is crucial, but it's not the long-term answer. Economic development is.

Mangano hit the right notes in his speech about nurturing the boutique biotech and green energy firms starting to emerge on Long Island, but significant benefits from those are still years away. Suozzi knew the Hub was the place to start, and Mangano, too, should champion the Lighthouse project. The renovation of the Coliseum, the first phase, could provide many jobs for the construction industry very quickly.

Mangano didn't have a professional team of managers groomed before Election Day and the recount. With little executive experience of his own, he must surround himself with stellar talent. Otherwise, as one observer of the county's finances phrased it, "say a Hail Mary and go home."

So far, he has resisted pressure by GOP leaders to repay the party with big jobs. The first time either Harry or Harriet the Hack gets one, Mangano will undermine his promise as a next-generation Republican leader.

As a Republican, Mangano will need to build effective relationships with the Democrats who control Albany, Washington, and the dollars the county needs. Inviting Democrats to his swearing-in was a solid step towards bipartisanship. He must be aggressive about making sure Nassau gets its share of the funding.

And it would benefit both parties and their leaders to keep the change- of-regime politics civil. The public wants stability and focused leadership, not an endless series of accusations and rebuttals. Mangano served too long in the legislature not to appreciate the contributions of most members. A working coalition with Democrats will go far in establishing his independence and leadership.

Mangano has the instincts and the character to succeed. For all of us, he must. hN