Dems say release first responder funds

Nassau County Democrats, including Legislators Debra Mulé, and Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, accused Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman of not disbursing funds to certain legislative districts and plan to block him from borrowing any more money until he does.
Legislators from those districts say millions of dollars were promised early this year to pay for resources in their communities but remain “locked” by the Blakeman administration in favor of districts led by Republican legislators.
DeRiggi-Whitton expressed frustration over Blakeman’s control over the approval process for placing items on the legislative calendar. She emphasized that only the executive branch can approve these items, which then move from the administration to the clerk before reaching legislators. DeRiggi-Whitton highlighted delays in the allocation of CRP money, ARPA funds, and a Hotel Motel grant of $7,500 for  Downtown Sounds in Glen Cove due to what she alleges is Blakeman’s refusal to sign agreements. She also cited the urgent need for funding to address Hempstead’s drinking water crisis. Despite Blakeman approving funds for other areas like Farmingdale and Great Neck, DeRiggi Whitton says Democratic areas remain neglected, affecting all constituents, including those who voted for him.
“I have $7,500 sitting there, and he just refuses to sign the agreement, so it has to stop. Now they want us to bond, and they need us for that, with no guarantee that our projects will move forward,” DeRiggi Whitton told the Herald. “We just can’t trust after this whole debacle. It’s blatant politics where it shouldn’t be.”
Baldwin, another area withheld from legislator’s first responder funds, also includes East Meadow, Glen Cove, Glenwood, Muttontown, Port Washington, Sands Point and Sea Cliff.

“I’ve never seen things like this happen since my time as a legislator,” Mulé said at a press conference on July 24 alongside other party members. “There is no such thing as a Republican fire or a Democrat fire, there are just fires.”
Until Blakeman honors the funding requests, which have already been agreed upon with the administration, Democrats will block borrowing until the county executive honors the requests, they say.
Republicans hold a 12-7 majority in the legislature. Blakeman needs a supermajority of 13 votes to approve finance requests for larger countywide projects.
A request in Mulé’s district of Baldwin was made for the Baldwin Fire Department for a new bucket truck last December for $169,241.
“Here we are, seven or eight months later, and we still haven’t heard anything about this project,” Mulé said.
“During my administration, minority members of the legislature received over 2 million dollars for community projects in their districts,” Blakeman wrote in a statement to the Herald. “Previously, the Democrat members of the legislature tried to hijack the capital budget, withholding funds for a variety of infrastructure projects and public safety projects including police body armor.
“If the Democrats are serious about moving projects forward they must immediately pass the capital projects budget and complete their due diligence and paperwork on project requests that to date have been incomplete and lacking important details. I stand ready to work with either side of the aisle,” he added.