By MIKE CAPUTO
After a public comment session that lasted for about eight hours, the full Legislature approved a sales tax on home-heating oil, which exists in other New York counties including Suffolk and Westchester, and could bring in $18 million in revenue. The new tax, combined with $12 million garnered from cuts to social services, could yield about $30 million for Nassau, county officials have said.
Committees later on in the day were also expected to tackle Suozzi's proposal to lay off nearly 1,000 county workers or accept a 7 percent across-the-board pay cut. However, by the end of the day those plans were postponed because county officials said negotiations with its union leaders were progressing. Further details were not available, but officials said an announcement could be made by the end of this week.
"We understand the unions and the administration are making meaningful progress in their deliberations," said Presiding Officer Diane Yatauro, a Democrat from Glen Cove. "Certain items such as the closing of facilities and layoffs are being pulled from agendas as a good faith gesture to foster the discussions. Hopefully we will realize a resolution that will have the least impact on our county, our workers and our residents."
Jerry Laricchiuta, president of the CSEA Local 830, said union leaders continued to negotiate with Nassau leadership over the weekend and into early this week. Without elaborating, he said layoffs "may not be an issue" following completion of negotiations with the county.
Michael Adams, president of the Sheriff Officers Association, which represents corrections officers at the county jail in East Meadow, acknowledged that talks with Suozzi and his officials are moving along. Officers have already been redeployed to other departments and Saturday visitation hours have been cut at the correctional facility. Suozzi's initial plans included the laying off of 100 corrections officers, but Adams said they are looking at other ways to make the operation "more efficient."
"We are trying to assist them and make some shortcuts to save a few cuts," Adams said. "I told them safety is a priority of mine, and the work environment at the jail where we didn't have many people to move around to start with.
"We have to maintain a level of security that is safe for the officers and for the community," the union leader added.
Representatives from the Economic Opportunity Commission, an agency that sponsors many community-related programs, launched a postcard campaign urging state legislators to approve Nassau County's proposals to install red light cameras, institute a county cigarette tax and increase traffic ticket fees - measures designed to help the county close its budget gap. And they stressed that the proposed cuts could be detrimental to the people they serve.
"Where will they go? said Iris Johnson, executive director of the EOC. "What will happen to those families? Who will service them?"
She challenged the legislators to band together and find alternatives to making cuts to EOC-related services, which include Head Start Early Child Development, HIV/AIDS Outreach, Displaced Homemakers Multi Service Center and other family and youth development programs designed to help lower income residents.
Legislator John Ciotti, a Republican from North Valley Stream, said he and his Republican colleagues would fight the program cuts.
"How can we possibly justify what is happening here? Ciotti said. "The savings to the county relative to the costs of county make absolutely no sense."
In response to Ciotti, Legislator Kevan Abrahams, a Democrat from Hempstead, emphasized that none of the legislators are out to place hardships on residents, and politics should not impact decision-making.
"I think every single person up here cares about people," Abrahams said. "It is time to rid ourselves of politics."
It was the third consecutive meeting in which police and security personnel had to put a limit on the amount of audience members inside the Legislative chambers. Most of those who could not get inside the chambers were relegated to the lobby, which was converted into an overflow room with a live video feed.
Comments about this story? MCaputo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 287.
