Editorial Response

The county executive responds: Jobs have been my focus

Posted

The Heralds’ Sept. 13-19 editorial, “Reassessing the county executive,” while attempting to offer a report card on my administration thus far, unfortunately provided an incomplete portrayal of my administration’s history relating to the creation of private-sector jobs and the success we have had in attracting new industries and increasing employment to Nassau County.

My focus has been to rebuild the county’s economy by creating good-paying, private-sector jobs and putting people back to work. From returning 15,000 jobs to the former United States Navy-Grumman Corporation property in Bethpage to forming an aggressive, hard-charging economic development team, I am dedicated to creating more jobs and opportunities in Nassau County for our generation and future generations. Since 2010, and in a constricted economic climate, my administration has secured commitments to create and retain more than 2,700 private-sector jobs. Economists estimate that these jobs will generate more than $1.5 billion to boost Nassau County’s economy, while holding the line on property taxes.

The jobs we have created and retained are in innovative industries that have tremendous growth potential and will stimulate our local economy — industries like movie and television production, research and development, homeland security and composite manufacturing, the last an emerging market that is examining new applications and technologies for use in commercialization.

Understanding that public-private partnerships create benefits that ripple through the economy, including local jobs, my administration recently contracted with Nassau Sports & Events Center for a privately financed, multi-purpose Expo Center at the Mitchel Field Athletic Complex in Uniondale. This state-of-the-art, 105,000- square-foot exhibition center will generate tourism while promoting the Hub to potential investors and developers and creating employment for local residents.

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