With the state-appointed Nassau Interim Finance Authority and county government unable to come to an agreement over Nassau’s budget, NIFA announced $18 million in spending cuts on Thursday.
The county’s budget “failed to contain projections of revenues and expenditures that are based on reasonable and appropriate assumptions,” the authority said in a letter following the board’s monthly meeting.
It the first time in NIFA’s 17-year history that the authority authorized its own spending cuts.
The cuts are sprinkled over variety of county departments and services, leaving almost every department with less funding than the county had set aside in its budget.
The public works department will see the biggest cut, having almost $9 million removed from their budget. Both the county police and the sheriff’s office/correctional facility will see more the $1.5 million cut. The Department of Human Services and Information Technology were the other two departments that will have more than $1 million in cuts.
Salaries and benefits are not affected by the cuts.
Instead, NIFA’s budget will reduce contracts, new equipment, utilities and general expenses. It all adds up to about a 5.2 percent cut to the county’s budget.
NIFA also revised the revenue projections for the county which they had felt that legislature was too optimistic about. The Office of Management and Budget had $12 million taken out of their projection.
In the oversight board’s resolution announcing the cuts, NIFA said that incoming county executive Laura Curran would have until March 15 to offer additional changes to the budget.
“The cuts will present serious challenges but I am confident we can manage them and continue the services our residents need and expect and spend their tax dollars responsibly,” Curran said.
The board also recommend that the Legislature pass an ordinance to impose a $75 fee on those that fail to pay parking tickets.
The fee was proposed by County Executive Ed Mangano earlier this year, and NIFA said the fee could bring in an additional $1 million in revenue for the county.
