By Bruce Blakeman
With my second term as county executive underway, I’m proud to say that Nassau County’s future is bright. Like my first term, these coming years will be defined by a strong commitment to public safety, excellent economic growth that increases affordability for our residents, and expanded opportunities for business owners that will benefit everyone.
Growing our economy remains a top focus for my administration. After canceling a $150 million tax hike in my first year in office, I have not raised taxes for four consecutive years — a promise that I will keep in this year’s budget. Through smart financial management, we have earned an unprecedented seven bond upgrades and have been cited by Democratic State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli as a county with no fiscal stress. Our local businesses are thriving, with minority- and women-owned business certifications increasing by 40 percent last year alone — a number I hope to raise even higher in 2026 and beyond.
Positive economic activity lets us invest in initiatives that matter to residents. We’ve restored local historical sites like the Roslyn Grist Mill, invested in cultural centers like the Joysetta and Julius Pearse African American Museum, in Hempstead, and upgraded local community hubs like Centennial Park, in Roosevelt. These are testaments to how a well-run government can provide for all of its residents.
I’m proud to report that Nassau County remains the safest county in the United States, a distinction we owe to the courageous men and women of the Nassau County Police Department, the Corrections Department, the Probation Department, the Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s Office. These dedicated professionals — along with emergency services personnel like our firefighters, EMS workers and fire marshals — work tirelessly for our security, and we cannot thank them enough.
My administration recognizes the importance of investing in public safety efforts. I’ve authorized the hiring of 600 new police and corrections officers since taking office, with more to come. We opened the state-of-the-art Harry Singh Bolla Police Training Village to give all of our officers, new and old, cutting-edge training to ensure that Nassau County remains a leader in public safety.
During my time in office, our emergency services staff has also grown, with more than 1,000 residents signing up to become volunteer firefighters. This year’s budget will expand the number of fire marshals and dispatchers, ensuring that we are prepared for anything that comes our way.
The good news is that our initiatives are already paying off. Major crimes have fallen by more than 10 percent in the past year, with huge declines in serious crimes like murder, rape, assault and robbery. In 2025 our police executed the largest drug bust and gang takedown in county history. Major investments in our battle to alleviate the opioid crisis led to a drop of more than 16 percent in overdose deaths last year. These results speak for themselves, and show that our policies are working.
My administration has also taken steps to protect our religious freedoms. I recently signed a new law that prevents protesters from targeting churches, synagogues and mosques. Nassau County will always stand for the safety and rights of everyone who practices their religion here.
Our stance on immigration enforcement remains firm: Nassau County is not a sanctuary county. Collaborating with our federal partners has helped us remove dangerous and illegal criminals from our streets — many of whom come from known gangs like MS-13, the 18th Street Gang and the Trinitarios. I want to reiterate that all of our enforcement actions are targeted at criminals, not honest and hardworking people who enrich our communities. My administration is continuing to work on a guest-worker program to support law-abiding immigrants, many of whom are pillars of our business community.
Even as we continue to build on our successes, I know that there’s a lot of work ahead to keep us moving in the right direction, but my commitment to making Nassau County the safest, most affordable and healthiest place to live, work and raise a family remains strong. Thank you for helping to make us the best place to live in all of New York.
Bruce Blakeman is the Nassau County executive.
