More than 50 youth agencies, including 37 county youth programs and 13 substance abuse treatment programs, lost their county funding Thursday after Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano was unable to secure legislative approval to borrow $41 million to pay property tax refund obligations.
According to Newsday [paid link], approximately $7.3 million was cut from the youth agencies Thursday.
The 53 agencies previously were funded through fines from the county's red-light camera program. But after Democrats repeatedly voted against Mangano's plan to borrow $41 million to pay tax refunds to commercial property owners, Republicans voted to give him unilateral authority to find savings, including defunding the youth groups.
The funding cuts will result in a near $300,000 loss to the Bellmore-based Long Island Crisis Center, Executive Director Linda Leonard wrote in an appeal to email subscribers.
YES Community Counseling Center in Massapequa will also be affected.
"Our agency may be on the verge of shutting down programs that provide service to thousands of children and families," YES Director Jamie Bogenshutz told Patch.
Third Precinct Absorbs Sixth
The second merger in Mangano's police precinct realignment plan took place Monday.
The Third Precinct in Williston Park absorbed the Sixth Precinct in Manhasset, leaving just two more mergers to go until the realignment is complete.
Click here to read more about the merger.
Mangano Presses Forward with Sewage Privatization Plan
Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano is pressing forward with sewage privatization plans despite the Nassau Interim Finance Authority (NIFA) rejecting his proposed contract with Morgan Stanley to broker a deal for the public-private partnership.
Brian Nevin, communications director for Mangano, said the county executive is in the process of revisiting his debt reduction and sewer stabilization plan with NIFA. The government wathdog panel voted 5-0 to oppose Mangano's plan in mid May and expressed concerns over potential user fee increases that could result over the long term from the public-private partnership.
Click here to read more about the privatization plan.
Accident Reports Now Available Online
County Executive Ed Mangano and Nassau Police Commissioner Tom Dale announced Monday an initiative that makes life a little easier for people who are involved in traffic accidents. Rather than having to travel to police headquarters or to a local precinct to pick up a traffic accident report, accident victims can access a copy of their report on the Internet at www.pdcn.org.
Research indicates that the most common instance for residents visiting a police precinct is to obtain an accident report. Accident reports can still be obtained in person at police headquarters in Mineola, as well as police precincts and policing centers.
Environmental Group Expands Efforts On Long Island
The New York League of Conservation Voters last week convened a high-level discussion with the Nassau and Suffolk County Executives – as well as members of the local environmental and business communities – to explore the challenges and potential solutions that Long Island faces in managing its wastewater.
The discussion, held in Farmingdale, marked the launch of NYLCV's newly expanded Long Island Chapter under the leadership of its new chair, Michael Posillico. Posillico is a Principal at Posillico Inc., one of the top infrastructure and brownfield development firms in New York State.
During last week's discussion, Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone spoke about the specific challenges their counties face. Nassau County's most pressing concerns are the maintenance and improvements needed to existing sewers and sewage-treatment plants. In Suffolk County, high-density areas are in need of additional sewering while leaking septic tanks are cause for concern in less densely populated areas.
Financing the required upgrades is a major hurdle that both county executives face. But the counties can no longer risk inaction without risking large fines from regulators and potentially compromising the quality of Long Island's water.
To help achieve the breakthroughs that are needed, NYLCV will soon issue a set of recommendations to help guide the Nassau and Suffolk county executives as they seek to address and effect this critical environmental issue.
Nassau Hosts First Annual Relay for Life
Nassau County residents, including cancer survivors and their caregivers, came together this past Friday, June 29, to celebrate, remember and fight back at the 1st Annual Relay For Life of Nassau County. The event raised more than $45,000 for the fight against cancer with money still coming in. These funds will support cancer research and patient service programs provided by the American Cancer Society in Nassau County.
More than 185 participants camped out at Mitchel Field Athletic Complex for this first-year event.
Eisenhower Park Summer Movie Night Schedule
July 12: Kung Fu Panda 2 – PG (90 min.) – sunset 8:27 p.m.
July 19: Puss in Boots – PG (90 min.) – sunset 8:23 p.m.
July 26: Shrek Forever After – PG (93 min.) – sunset 8:18 p.m.
Aug. 2: Wizard of Oz – G (102 min.) – sunset 8:11 p.m.
Aug. 9: Happy Feet Two – PG (100 min.) – sunset 8:02 p.m.
Aug. 16: Smurfs – PG (103 min.) – sunset 7:53 p.m.
Aug. 23: Dolphins Tale – PG (113 min.) – sunset 7:43 p.m.
Aug. 30: Adventures of Tintin – PG (107 min.) – sunset 7:32 p.m.
Ooooh! I am one of "them" ("they") and a chief proponent of that argument about paying high taxes and getting great schools in return; I almost an evangelist, so to speak. Our schools do NOT educate your children to satisfy magazine editors or to make unofficial lists that have no bearing on anything to do with your children's actual education. There are certainly larger loads of crap than the great schools argument (mantra). Like, "public water will magically be cheaper than private water", or, that the County should continue to run our sewage treatment plants, or that a Las Vegas-style establishment will not be a strip club, it will be a juggling & knife-throwing emporium!
I'd love for you to sign the petition. Maybe you think it won't do anything, but I'm trying. I'm really trying. http://www.change.org/petitions/nassau-county-legislature-restore-funding-to-the-youth-programs-in-nassau-county We can all complain about our politicians and the state of things or we can try to do something.
1./ Cut ALL patronage positions. 2./ Pay overdue tax refunds. 3./ Restore youth programs.
Please consider signing the letter I have circulating. I'm not taking sides politically. I'm blaming both sides for what they are doing and asking them both to stop the games and do what is right for the citizens they are supposed to serve.
They may not care about this comment section but they will care if the legislative sessions are packed every week with angry citizens letting them know that they will be voted out. They will care if enough people are sure that their voices are heard through letters, petitions, visits, etc.
That is unfortunately very naive. There are no "lock boxes" where money from 'this source' goes to specifically fund 'that activity'. All revenue from all sources goes into the treasury where it is commingled and spent as the County Executive sees fit, within the limits of the approved County budget AT THE TIME. When there is a deficit or the Treasury is depleted or inadequate to fund current liabilities, then the role of the County Executive becomes much more important in managing spending,
Bob Gee thanks for the comments when are your meetings?
We can sit silently by complaining about our corrupt system or we can be in our elected officials' faces. I choose the second option. Maybe we won't get change, but I'm not going to let them sit there comfortably ignoring me. Btw, many of the legislators sit there during the public comments section ignoring the speakers. They read other things, look on their computers, anywhere but at the people speaking. These are our elected officials. People need to be pissed at that and speak up. Or you can just comment here about the unfairness of it all.
go to www.saveyouthprograms.org it will explain alot and they are organizing a call rally
http://www.change.org/petitions/nassau-county-executive-and-the-19-members-of-the-county-legislature-restore-funding-for-human-services?share_id=xTgmPTPVGR&utm_source=guides&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=petition_created_email
I didn't draw any conclusions about your community involvement or your voting patterns. I merely responded that I would rather do something than nothing. Sorry if you took that as being accusatory although I do notice that you continuously call me naive and a dreamer. I don't take it to heart. There is a naivete in believing that something can be done I suppose. But as I said, the alternative is to do nothing and I'd rather be a dreamer who hopes to make a difference.
Sometimes I feel extremely naive, but I'll go with that. Maybe its a defense mechanism. Who really wants to believe that our system cannot be fixed? I don't.