Saturday, June 21, 2025
The Nassau County Legislature approved borrowing for the Fiscal Year 2025 capital infrastructure plan, unlocking $169,241 for the Baldwin Fire Department to purchase a new bucket truck at its April 23 legislature meeting.
The funding was part of a $1.3 million package for 14 public safety agencies in districts represented by Democratic lawmakers. The vote marked the end of a yearlong freeze on those grants by County Executive Bruce Blakeman and included nearly $43 million in capital projects for Democratic districts.
“Baldwin’s volunteer fire department is now in its 130th year of selfless, life-saving service – and our support of their vital mission must be as unwavering as their commitment to protecting the public,” Alternate Deputy Minority Leader Debra Mulé said. “It fills me with tremendous pride and gratitude that the members of the Democratic Minority Caucus prevailed in its fight to not only secure these funds for the Baldwin Fire Department, but for deserving first responders all across Nassau County.”
Bond authorization required a 13-vote supermajority to pass. Democratic lawmakers used that threshold to negotiate the release of the long-delayed funding and address what they say was a political imbalance in project approvals.
“Passing the FY 2025 capital infrastructure plan – which includes nearly $43 million for projects in Democratic districts and $1.3 million in Democratic first responder grants that County Executive Blakeman held up for more than a year – is a major victory for the communities we serve and the principle of fair and equitable governance,” Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, who represents Glen Cove said.
Democrats said the grant approvals had been stalled since last year, despite previous approvals for Republican-led districts. They cited a “32-to-zero” gap in approved funding proposals over the past three years.
“County Executive Blakeman’s unprecedented blockade of our grants… was outrageous — especially when you consider many of these grants are for people who rush toward danger on a daily basis,” DeRiggi-Whitton said.
The vote followed a failed attempt in March to pass the nearly $430 million plan, when Democrats abstained in protest. At the time, Blakeman accused them of political gamesmanship and rejected their call for a written funding agreement.
