County OK’s $2.6B budget

The Nassau County Legislature voted 11-8 to approve County Executive Ed Mangano’s $2.6 billion budget on Saturday night, following a contentious, two-day public hearing in Mineola that turned bitterly partisan as legislators argued over details of the spending plan.

Democratic legislators railed against Mangano’s reliance on borrowing and fee increases to balance next year’s budget. “This budget mortgages our children’s future…” said Diane Yatauro, a Democrat from Glen Cove and the Legislature’s minority leader, in a prepared statement. “Since taking office in January, Mangano has proposed nearly $700 million in borrowing, and his 2011 budget calls for even more.”

Mangano, meanwhile, said that his budget would close a $340 million deficit, in part by cutting $100 million in spending, while keeping county property taxes level next year. He noted that the budget would dramatically reduce Nassau’s workforce.

Also at issue was Mangano’s proposal for a water-use fee of 1 cent per gallon charged to non-profit entities such as school districts, fire departments, universities and hospitals, but not to houses of worship. The county executive said the fee is needed to plug a $38 million hole in Nassau’s sewer budget and to fund repair work on the county’s two sewage treatment plants. Democrats, however, said the fee amounts to a tax, and by law, non-profit entities cannot be taxed.

The Legislature’s 11 Republicans voted for the budget, while the eight Democrats rejected it.

In a separate budget resolution, the Legislature voted 11-8 along party lines to shift Nassau’s tax-certiorari refund payments to school districts, towns, villages and other local jurisdictions. School administrators have criticized the plan, saying that it will force them to increase school budgets –– and thus property taxes –– and potentially lay off staff. The shift is scheduled to take place in 2013, which Mangano and Republicans in the Legislature said should give school districts and local municipalities time to budget for the changeover.

Guarantee debated