At times Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano’s State of the County address given earlier this month seemed more like a stump speech than an honest evaluation of the problems facing Nassau County.
“We have truly reinvented and are rebuilding a stronger, better and brighter Nassau County,” Mangano said. “That is why we must never return to our past practices.”
Repeatedly Mangano blamed the difficulties that the county is facing on his Democratic predecessor and likely challenger Tom Suozzi, although he never mentioned him by name.
“Ladies and gentlemen, just over three years ago, we inherited a broken Nassau County,” he said.
Mangano boasted about his administration’s reductions in government payrolls and the hard line on property tax increases, and said the county is on the path to recovery from both Hurricane Sandy and years of recession.
We’ll give Mangano credit for the response to Sandy. The county government continues to make an impressive effort to address the problems created by the superstorm, a word that most residents never even heard until Sandy. The recovery was stymied by the poorly managed LIPA response. That can’t be blamed on Mangano.
But the county executive glossed over some serious problems facing the county. The Nassau Interim Finance Authority, a state-appointed fiscal watchdog, took control of county finances a full year after Mangano took office.
NIFA now projects bigger deficits for the coming fiscal year than last year. That is not good news and it is not Suozzi’s fault.
Two years ago NIFA imposed a wage freeze on county workers. A police union challenge to that wage freeze could wind up costing the county $230 million or more in back wages and benefits. The union has already won the first round in district court.
Another decision in the state appellate court could cost the county $50 million a year beginning 2015. Under Mangano the county shifted the responsibility for paying property tax refunds to school districts and towns.
The court ruled that this placed an unfair burden on the school districts.
“Shifting the responsibility of Nassau County property tax settlements onto the school districts was another example of mandates that further constrain school districts in these very challenging budget times,” said East Williston Superintendent of Schools Elaine Kanas.
“It is our sincere hope that the county does not appeal the New York State Appellate Division Court’s decision,” she said.
“I am extremely pleased with the decision of the appellate division and hope that it will be sustained on appeal,” said Great Neck Public Schools Superintendent Tom Dolan. “The county does the assessing, and if we pay for their mistakes there is no motivation for them to get it right.”
Last year the New York Islanders announced that they would be moving to Barclays Center in Brooklyn in 2015. The unexpected loss of the island’s only professional sports franchise was a serious blow to the future of the Nassau Coliseum.
Last week Mangano released a plan to create a scaled-down Coliseum. The current arena has a capacity of more than 17,000; the new plan calls for a minimum of 8,000 seats for entertainment, concerts and sporting events, with an agreement to share revenues with the county.
One cost-saving measure, the closing of half of the county’s eight police precincts, was a risky move but there is no evidence that it has resulted in any increase in crime.
It would be unfair to blame all of the difficulties that the county is facing on the Mangano administration. Part of the problem continues to be the refusal of the Democrat county legislators to work with the administration.
Like Washington, the county is facing gridlock.
The imposition of the control by NIFA was an embarrassment. The public schools, one of the biggest reasons families move to Nassau County, are facing the possibility of making major cuts because of the 2 percent tax levy cap.
These are just two examples of the tough times in Nassau County and we wonder if Mangano’s State of the County would have been half as rosy if he weren’t running for re-election next fall.
