Transfer of power begins in Nassau

Outgoing County Executive Tom Suozzi began the process of handing over power to his successor, Ed Mangano, last week, a transfer that both say should happen as smoothly as possible.

When the election results were finalized last week, Mangano and Suozzi met to discuss what was next for the county, holding a brief press conference Dec. 2 at which they stressed that the transition would be handled professionally, ensuring that county government would not miss a beat in serving residents.

“We'd like to assist Mr. Mangano in any way that we can, by preparing as much information as possible regarding what the administration does, what's going on, what are the challenges you face, what are the goals for the future,” Suozzi said. “He's gone over a list with me of the things that he'd like to learn, and we'd like to provide ... as much help as possible as he makes this transition.”

According to information provided to the state Board of Elections, Suozzi had more than $2 million left in his re-election campaign budget, which has led to speculation about how seriously he took his campaign and whether he felt too comfortable going into the election. Mangano, by contrast, had just over $65,000 left.

But despite being outspent in the weeks leading up to the election, Mangano said he felt confident going into Election Day that he'd come out on top. “It's very difficult to raise money in this environment and quite frankly to reach the people of Nassau County,” he said. “What our polling did show is that those who received our message were more likely to vote for us than my opponent. I knew that the issues were out there for change and we had a plan. My only challenge — that we realized — was trying to reach enough people, quite honestly, but we always believed we would win.”

Suozzi expressed gratitude to members of his staff and supporters as his last month in office began. For the time being, he said, his main concern is helping to ensure the future of Nassau County's residents.