American Rescue Plan funding to be allocated throughout Nassau, but not everyone is happy

This week the Nassau County Legislature voted along party lines 11-7 to approve a proposed allocation for the remaining $262 million of federal pandemic relief funds from the American Rescue Plan, including over roughly $222 million for the general fund and $15 million that is to be distributed throughout all 19 legislative districts.

The American Rescue Plan was signed in March 2021 by President Biden with the goal of providing economic relief to Americans and distributed funds to state and local governments, like Nassau County, which received $385 million, according to county reports.

But not everybody is pleased with how this funding may be distributed throughout the county following Monday’s vote, which was under deliberation for nearly four straight hours — including many community based organizations, such as the Uniondale Land Trust, who attended the vote to advocate for their causes and adequate funding for each district.

Legislators like Siela Bynoe, Carrié Solages, Scott Davis, and Delia DeRiggi-Whitton were unhappy that each district would not receive the same amount of funding as others. They were pushing for a $4 million dollar increase for the legislative districts to all receive an even $19 million each — a change that no republicans would budge on.

Bynoe and other democrats pointed out that the county’s refusal to add the additional $4 million so each district can have an even hand in the pot is ironic, considering they did not hesitate to allocate $10 million from the ARPA money for the county’s year-long 125 year anniversary celebrations.

“Even after hearing from dozens of community organizations about the work that they want to undertake or continue based on the needs they witness, the Majority and the County administration decided to sit on over $222 million in ARPA funds to create the illusion of a budgetary surplus and spend $10 million on a yearlong party for the County’s 125th anniversary,” said Legislator Siela Bynoe, who represents Uniondale. “The inadequate sum that they did carve out for community programs to provide ARPA related services was set aside with no guarantee that resources would be disseminated fairly and equally across the Legislature’s 19 districts.”

The list of events proposed for the 125th anniversary includes concerts, galas, parades, car shows and golf tournaments. The county’s goal is that the revenue gained from “increased tourism” will benefit many of the small businesses in the community that have been impacted by the pandemic.

"We're anticipating spending $10 million and hoping to generate, for every dollar we spend, $3 in new revenue,  so we're roughly hoping in tourism and sales tax generation (to make) about $30 million," Andrew Persich, the Nassau County budget director, said of the anniversary festivities, but noted these profits are simply "speculatory."

At the vote, Persich revealed that the county is sitting on a surplus of “nearly half a billion dollars,” but urges the county to be “conservative” with its spending. But Bynoe, and other democrats questioned how $10 million on “a series of parties,” is spending conservatively.

“Nassau County could have changed the trajectory of the homelessness crisis, assisted people who experience food insecurity, delivered resources to our young people who struggle with social and emotional challenges, and so much more. I am dismayed that Monday’s short-sighted decisions will allow this once-in-a lifetime opportunity to slip through the County’s fingers,” Bynoe explained, saying that she is “embarrassed and perplexed” at the county’s “failure.”

Democrats on the legislature also expressed concern and disappointment over county legislator and congress hopeful, Mazi Pilip, and her actions at this week's vote where she left in the middle of the deliberations and failed to return to cast her vote. “One of them didn’t even vote and she is running for congress,” said a frustrated Solages after the session.

“This is a complete setback for everyone who believes in participatory democracy,” said Legislator Solages. He explains that now that the funding has been approved, the legislature has no control over how this $15 million will be divided up amongst each district. “This funding is now going into a black hole with little checks and balances,” he said. “(Republicans) don’t really care about empowering the public, they only care about empowering themselves and this administration.”