Mangano looks to improve Nassau’s finances
Speaks of several initiatives in State of the County address
In front of more than 100 spectators, County Executive Ed Mangano delivered his third State of the County address at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City on March 14. In the hour-long speech, Mangano, a Republican from Bethpage, emphasized his pledge to lower property taxes by decreasing the size of government, seeking more partnerships with the private sector and fixing the county’s broken property tax assessment system.
“Our first problem is that Nassau is among the highest property-taxed counties in the nation, and these taxes are driving companies and jobs out of New York,” Mangano said. “Plainly put, property taxes are killing jobs and depressing home values.”
According to Mangano, Nassau County entered the 2012 fiscal year facing a $310 million deficit, largely due to rising pension and Medicaid costs, and a greater demand for social services.
Mangano, who took office in 2010, replacing eight-year Democratic incumbent Thomas Suozzi, wasted no time placing blame on the previous regime for the current deficit. “The Legislature and I inherited a decade’s worth of problems, along with several years of projected deficits,” he said.
In his speech, Mangano lauded several cost-saving initiatives, including a reduction of the county’s payroll by $150 million this year. This was accomplished by the elimination of 110 appointed positions within the county, and the reduction of a total of 1,776 employees, according to Mangano. “Over the past decade, government has simply grown too large, and we put it on a diet,” he said.
Recently, Mangano’s administration has come under scrutiny as a result of the controversial decision to reduce Nassau County’s eight police precincts to four — a decision that caused an outcry among Democratic legislators and residents who cited the negative effects it could have on public safety. The precinct reduction plan was passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature, 10-9, earlier this month. Mangano, however, asserted that the plan will not affect public safety, and that the reduction of about 100 desk jobs will save the county $20 million annually.
