Blakeman’s legal gambles are costing Nassau taxpayers

A concerning trend has emerged in Nassau County under the leadership of County Executive Bruce A. Blakeman and the Republican legislative majority. Their approach, which prioritizes headline-grabbing issues over effective governance, is already proving costly to county taxpayers.

Time and again, Blakeman has seized on controversial topics to push through laws that serve more to boost his political profile than to benefit the public. The Aug. 5 session of the Legislature is a prime example. During that session, an overly broad and likely unconstitutional ban on wearing face masks in public places was hurriedly passed.

My Democratic minority colleagues and I support the intent behind restoring New York state’s mask legislation to prevent the use of masks by criminals. Any law we enact, however, must be constitutional, to ensure that it can withstand legal challenges and protect the public effectively. Despite the fact that we offered extensive feedback, our input was largely ignored, and a Democratic counterproposal — constitutionally sound and narrowly tailored to target criminals — was dismissed by the majority.

As a result, yet another poorly crafted law was added to the books when Blakeman signed it into law on Aug. 14. Another lawsuit, funded by Nassau taxpayers, is now almost certain.

This pattern of hasty, ill-considered legislation isn’t new. In June, the Republican majority passed, and Blakeman signed, a law barring transgender female athletes from using county sports facilities. The law was immediately condemned as “blatantly illegal” by state Attorney General Letitia James, and criticized by advocates as a “solution in search of a problem.” Lawsuits quickly followed, and the county has already lost in court on procedural grounds, when Blakeman tried to institute the ban via executive order. I anticipate that the courts will strike down this law as well.

Blakeman’s approach to New York’s shift to even-year local elections further illustrates the problem. In March 2023, before the proposed election system change was even enacted, he hired a law firm to explore suing the state. The contract, for $500,000, didn’t come before the Legislature until a year later, this March, long after the work had begun. This undermines the Legislature’s oversight role, and exposes how the legislative majority is treated as a rubber stamp rather than a co-equal branch of government. Once again, taxpayer money is being funneled into a politically motivated legal battle.

These legal distractions take attention away from pressing issues that the Blakeman administration is neglecting, such as the county’s aging infrastructure, its high cost of living and its broken assessment system. Despite promises to cut taxes and make the assessment system fair for all, these issues remain unresolved. The acting assessor continues in his role beyond the six-month interim period, without the required appointment by the Legislature, potentially compromising the legality of his actions and creating yet another legal risk for the county.

Leading Nassau County is a serious responsibility that requires the county executive’s full focus. It’s time for Blakeman to abandon these costly legal gambles and redirect resources toward addressing the real needs of our residents.

Debra Mulé represents Nassau County’s 6th Legislative District.