As county residents prepare to vote on Aug. 1 on a referendum ballot to allow the county to borrow as much as $400 million to build a new Nassau Coliseum and minor league ballpark at Mitchel Field in Uniondale, local Nassau County Legislators are questioning the promotion of the referendum election, it’s price tag, and timing.
“I don’t think the public even knows there is a vote,” Nassau County Legislator Judi Bosworth (D-Great Neck) said. “If the intent is really to hear what the people say, you have the vote on election day, when everyone is out there. To hold the vote on a Monday in August is problematic and disingenuous of what the people will vote.”
If the referendum is approved, it would be the next step towards the county building a new coliseum and a minor league ballpark.
Mangano has said the Coliseum project would bring in more than 4,500 jobs to the county, generate $28.2 in revenues and net the county $2.2 million after paying $26 million annually on debt service. The county’s Office of Legislative Budget Review estimates the cost to taxpayers will be an extra $58 a year on property taxes for the next 30 years to pay off the bond.
Bosworth did not comment on whether she supported the vote or not, but said was awaiting what the voters will decide.
“Lets hear from the people, and we will then see what to do.” Bosworth said. “I don’t believe there is anyone who doesn’t want the Islanders here, and all the tourism, but the problem is with the date of the referendum.”
Nassau County Legislator Wink (D-Roslyn) echoed his fellow Democratic legislator’s concerns.
“Aug. 1 is a terrible date to hold the election, especially when its being held during prime vacation season,” Wink said. “Secondly, this is going to cost the county more than $2 million to pay for the election.”
Islanders owner Charles Wang said he would pay for the election if the plan is approved by voters and gets approved by the Nassau County Legislature and the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, a state oversight board that oversees the county’s finances.
Wink questioned the legality of Wang’s legal ability to pay for the election.
“I believe its still a very open question if it is permissible for Charles Wang to pay for the election costs, Wink said. Wink also expressed his dismay at the lack of information from the county on the proposed lease agreement. “We’re still waiting for further details, and quite frankly until we get some answers I’m withholding support.
Nassau County spokesman Brian Nevin said that there is no truth to Wang not being able to pay for the election.
“He wouldn’t be doing it if it wasn’t legal,” Nevin said.
Nevin added that one of the reasons the county decided to hold the vote was to make sure it was not part of the political season, and one item to vote on is easier to focus on rather than the multitude of items on a November ballot.
“This lets the taxpayers decide on one main item,” Nevin said. “This will help their decision.”
The referendum vote will be held at normal polling locations from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., according to the board of elections. Voters must also be registered to vote in the county.
Throwing their support behind Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano, the Nassau Council of Chambers of Chambers of Commerce announced, Tuesday, their support for a redeveloped Nassau Coliseum and the creation of a sports-entertainment destination in the heart of Nassau County. The Council acts as the spokesman on behalf of more than 40 chambers of commerce throughout Nassau County.
Mangano announced earlier in the week that Nassau County’s Ballpark Request-for-Proposal Committee has selected a bid from Long Island Ducks owner Frank Boulton to bring an Atlantic League team to Nassau County to play at the proposed new ballpark at Mitchel field.
“Attracting a baseball team to Nassau County will create jobs while providing an affordable family-fun destination for our residents,” Mangano said. “Rather than travel to neighboring counties for sports entertainment opportunities, families will be able to stay local and spend their dollars in our community.”
Nassau County taxpayers will own the new ballpark and share in the revenue derived from events held at the facility under the county proposal. On non-game days, the ballpark will be open for county activities that benefit local youth and sports-related organizations in Nassau County.
“The Long Island Ducks are enthusiastic about bringing another Atlantic League team to Nassau County, said Boulton.”
To analyze the potential economic impact associated with the redevelopment of the Nassau Coliseum, the The Nassau County Industrial Development Agency engaged Camoin Associates, a professional services firm.
The analysis by Camoin Associates projects $2.2 million to the county in projected excess revenues over debt service annually. The county projects that new arena will draw 1.37 million people.
Camoin Associates said that based on conversations with the Visitors Bureau and reviews of hotel rates in Nassau county, the cost per person for overnight lodging is estimated at $44.75 (assuming 2-3 persons per room). Therefore, they calculated that with 204,840 overnight visitors each year, the new coliseum would generate approximately $9.1 million in lodging sales in the county each year.
The firm is also estimating that approximately half the jobs and materials for the new coliseum would be sourced within the county, and the direct effects of the construction phase would be $175 million. This would result in the county earning a total of $121 million in one-time construction related earnings, and support 1,515 construction jobs in the county.
The indirect impacts represent money spent by businesses on purchases of goods and services within the local economy, creating additional employment and earnings. It also includes the expenditures of new household income from wages and payments made to employees.
The total new visitation spending was determined by breaking down the spending into categories created by the new coliseum, such as Islander’s Hockey, other sports, family, concerts, and entertainment. The total visitor spending amounts to a total of $223 million, which they have projected will create more than 2,115 jobs annually throughout the Nassau County economy.
All of the numbers in the Camoin Associates analysis have still yet to be fully verified by the Nassau County Comptrollers office.
Director of Communications for the office of Nassau County Comptroller Jostyn Hernandez said a report from the comptroller’s office should be coming out next week, and a press conference will be held to announce the findings.
The report is an independent study by the comptroller’s office to evaluate the Camoin Associates analysis and provide one of their own.
“We are going to see if the numbers of what the county receives from the report match up,” Hernandez said. “We are also going to see from our own report if the financial impact of a new stadium are realistic and a benefit for the taxpayers.”
The report will come out approximately two weeks before voters go to the polls and decide if borrowing $400 million for a Nassau Coliseum and minor league ballpark is what the county needs. The reason for the report coming out two weeks before the vote, is the information generated by Camoin Associates needs to be carefully studied, said Hernandez.
“Before we come out with our own study and comparison, we wanted to make sure we had accurate and detailed information before we presented it to the public,” Hernandez said.
Should the vote fail and the Islanders move to another location, the county said they would be forced to close the coliseum, due to it no longer being economically viable.
“When you talk with any of the experts, the Islanders represent over 40 percent of the coliseum’s revenue,” Nevin said. “The facility has a hard enough time attracting venues, and is outdated. Once you lose an anchor tenant like that, you simply can’t make up that revenue.”
