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Overcast Nassau lays off 262 workers
137 county workers were demoted
Nassau County laid off 262 workers on Thursday and 137 county workers were demoted earlier this week, said Nassau County spokesman Brian Nevins.
Civil Service Employee Association members were affected the most, said Nevins. The Department of Public Works and Department of Social Services laid off the most CSEA members and saved the county about $60 million, Nevins said. Some Nassau County executive political appointees also faced layoffs.
Correctional officers were among the workers who were demoted.
“He’s not going to raise taxes,” said Nevins referring to Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano. “The easy thing to do would be to just raise taxes. We continue to find ways to do more with less.”
Nevins said the layoffs prevented county residents from facing a double-digit tax hike.
“While it pains me to see anyone lose their job,” said Mangano, “I informed Nassau’s unions months ago that layoff would occur if they did not provide the concessions needed to protect residents from a tax hike and live within the dollars provided to us for the 2012 budget.”
“Obviously, it’s unfortunately, especially around the holidays,” Ryan Mulholland, a CSEA representative, said about the layoffs. “The biggest shame of it all is the services to the residents that are going to be affected.”
Mulholland said county residents were already turned away on Dec. 28 and told to come back another day. “It’s going to be difficult. I don’t see how they’re going to be able to provide [social] services.”
Snow plowing is also a concern. “I don’t know how that’s going to happen,” added Mulholland.
The Nassau County Legislature approved the layoffs on Dec. 19 after Chief Deputy County Executive Rob Walker addressed the issue.
“The county executive does not want to lay off one employee. He wants to come up with another way,” he said. However, only 118 workers accepted the early separation incentive package.
The early separation incentive package, unanimously approved by county legislators on Dec. 19, allowed county employees to accept an early retirement. Those who accepted the deal will receive $1,000 for every year of service.
Mulholland said that the accepted incentive packages should prevent additional layoffs that were expected in February.
On Nov. 28, Mangano issued an ultimatum to the unions, saying that $75 million in concessions had to be agreed upon by Dec. 15, or about 400 county workers would be laid off, and another 200 would be demoted.
