NIFA: Nassau's not there yet

Daily Point

NIFA's new chairman, Richard Kessel, and predecessor argue for continued fiscal control

In releasing its review of Nassau County’s multiyear financial plan last week, the Nassau Interim Finance Authority listed its chairman as Richard Kessel — who just took the reins earlier this month. And Kessel did edit and officially issue the required report.

But in reality, the report marked former chairman Adam Barsky’s last hurrah. Barsky wrote most of the analysis and arrived at its ultimate conclusion: The county should remain in a financial control period.

Barsky told the Point Monday that Nassau has yet to show that it can handle its fiscal picture without NIFA’s help.

“They haven’t demonstrated that they’re quite there yet,” Barsky said.

But while Kessel didn’t write the latest report, he told The Point he stands by it — and its conclusions.

“I think the take-away is the county has made some progress and I think they deserve credit for that. And I’m relatively comfortable that next year is going to be fine,” Kessel said. “But as I think the report indicates, I still continue to have concerns about the years following that. There’s still a lot of uncertainty out there.

“With some of the uncertainty of the next few years, to go out of the control period I think would be a big mistake,” Kessel added, noting that he’s especially worried about Nassau University Medical Center, both in the short term and in the years to come.

Barsky and Kessel both confirmed that they’ve been working together closely as they transition the NIFA chairmanship. And both told The Point they think some of the county’s current fiscal stability is due to NIFA itself.

“We believe the reason the county is in the position it is today is because of the value NIFA has brought to the financial oversight process,” Barsky said. “The concern really is what would happen if it were not there to prevent the things it has prevented up until now.”

Added Kessel: “NIFA has brought great benefit to the county.”

The NIFA report emphasized that Nassau officials have yet to respond to a letter Barsky sent County Executive Bruce Blakeman in July 2022, which sought answers to 17 questions regarding the county’s governing and finances. The questions covered topics including NUMC, labor contracts, cybersecurity and assessment.

Kessel said he was thinking about writing his own letter to Blakeman, as he considers the issues raised by Barsky important but hopes to put his own stamp on the authority’s communication with the county executive.

“Maybe I’ll have more success,” Kessel said, adding that he also hopes to meet with Blakeman soon. “I know one thing. Every time I’ve reached out to Bruce, he’s always answered me. I think if I write to him, he’ll answer me now.”

— Randi F. Marshall randi.marshall@newsday.com

Pencil Point

Moving on

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Quick Points

Money always talks

• The Metropolitan Transportation Authority used a community fund of $20 million for local governments in Nassau County to speed approval and construction of the Third Track project. It’s a tale as old as time: Money greases the rails, and there’s no area of human enterprise immune to that.
• Former Vice President Mike Pence dropped out of the Republican presidential race. You are forgiven if you didn’t notice.
• After Mike Pence left the 2024 race, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called it the right decision, saying Pence “ran a tough race, a good one.” Not that there is any evidence of that.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the war with Hamas has entered its second stage. He didn’t say final stage, so what exactly comes next?
• Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said that the families of Hamas hostages in Gaza worrying they won’t see their loved ones again is a “reasonable concern,” a phrase in the running for understatement of the week.
• After last week’s mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, hometown Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) reversed his stance on an assault weapons ban and said he would vote in favor of such a prohibition. It’s interesting what can happen to one’s principles when reality hits close to home.
• He inhabited his TV character like few other performers in the history of the medium and delivered a decade’s worth of memorable wit and "Bing-isms." RIP, Matthew Perry.

— Michael Dobie michael.dobie@newsday.com

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