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Politics & Government

Mangano Describes Nassau as 'Deeply Troubled'

Pledges to take county in new direction during last night's State of the County Address.

In his first State of the County address since he was elected in November 2009, Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano described the county's plight as "deeply troubled" as he detailed the sweeping cuts he has already implemented and his broad vision for the future.

Surrounded by Nassau County legislators in Bethpage's new Homeland Security building, Mangano's plan provided glimmers of hope for the unemployed, small business owners, environmentalists, veterans and families under the strain of high taxes.

Mangano, echoing similar comments by President Barack Obama in his State of the Union address, acknowledged the flawed 2010 budget he inherited from his predecessor and the positive changes he has made in his first 75 days in office. Mangano said the prior administration was guilty of "governmental malpractice" in allowing "taxpayer abuse" to continue.

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He said he discovered, to his surprise, that the former county executive's spending plan called for $120 million in new property tax increases and negotiated collective bargaining contracts that require taxpayers to pay $43 million in raises and back pay over the next few years with no plan to pay for those amounts.

"Nassau's 2010 budget contained unrealistic assumptions and overly optimistic sales tax revenues with a bottom line of $48.5 million 2010 deficit," said Mangano. "To address this alarming fiscal surprise, my administration developed a $49 million taxpayer saving plan, which rests largely on slashing appointed managerial and support staff positions. Our overburdened taxpayers are demanding strict controls on government spending and smaller government. I intend to deliver just that."

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Mangano noted that he has already cut government staffing by $22 million and reduced the cost of his own executive staff by nearly $2 million with more cuts to come.

Fixing Nassau County's property tax assessment system was another major proposal raised by Mangano. Billions of dollars in losses and errors associated with this system "boggles the mind," said Mangano, "and is a shameful waste of taxpayer money that continues to grow. The fix will be methodical and painful but absolutely necessary." Mangano formed the assessment reform team, which includes residential and commercial property owners to "reform this oppressive, error-ridden system through better management."

Job creation and retention was another centerpiece of Mangano's address. His administration is establishing an Office of Local Opportunity to provide support and service to taxpayers and small businesses; asking the state legislature to extend the Empire Zone program; and requesting that Governor David Paterson amend the MTA payroll tax to exempt new hires that have been unemployed for more than 90 days.

Mangano also announced in his address the creation of a business advisory council chaired by entrepreneurs Mark Fasciano and Mike Puntillo that will "meet with me regularly so the county can address issues standing in the way of investment on Long Island."

A new pilot summer recreation program will be opened in several county parks with children's activities, which will create new jobs.

Environmentalists had reason to cheer Mangano's plans as well. The county executive proposed to create Green Energy Jobs in Nassau County, expand preservation, and ask Governor Patterson to continue Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) funding, which has provided $60 million to Nassau County over the last decade to close landfills, preserve open space, and protect drinking water, according to Mangano. He announced that the county is working with LIPA on the creation of a renewable Energy Park at Museum Row. Partnering with the New York Power Authority, the county will be installing LED traffic lights that will save more than $1 million in taxpayer dollars per year. He also stated that he is implementing green energy at several county facilities and has secured a $3.9 million grant to convert several county buildings to solar energy.

"Most exciting, my administration will develop an educational resource center to push the growth of green energy to the next level," he concluded.

Mangano received enthusiastic applause when he announced the new Be Our Guest program, in which Nassau County will be welcoming visitors to its county park system after losing their access due to the state's fiscal crisis. "This is a good deal for county taxpayers since rates for non-residents have been increased to assist in the upkeep of our parks," he said.

Citing the need for "bold, creative solutions," Mangano proposed a number of ideas, which included a cross sound tunnel, holding both the New York State Republican and Democratic primaries immediately after the New Hampshire primary to focus attention on Nassau County's economy, and a regular joint meeting of the county executives from Suffolk, Westchester, and Nassau since "we represent 20 percent of the state's population and about $170 billion of total economic output."

Mangano's plans did not overlook veterans, the police force, and the growing epidemic of heroin use on Long Island. He described how the county Departments of Housing and Homeless Services and Veterans Services will be working together with the private sector to build units of affordable housing for veterans. Later this year, said Mangano, the county will be acquiring two family units from the U.S. Navy at Mitchel Field and will use VA funding specifically for female veterans and those with dependent children.

"Nassau County has 18 homeless returning female veterans with children," he said. "We need to do more to care for the people who keep us safe."

Mangano described his three-prong approach to eliminating heroin use: enforcement, parental awareness, and education. He has also designated additional detectives and resources to form Operation H.A.L.T. (Heroin Abuse Location Targeting) and will be implementing the nationally-proven Too Good for Drugs curriculum in grades K through 12. Mangano promised to equip every patrol car in Nassau County by this spring with an in-car computer connected to the county's real-time Intel center.

"The cop on your street will have access to more real-time crime information than any other police agency in the country," he pledged.

For the first two months of his administration, Mangano said, violent crime is down more than 6% percent and firearm-related crimes are down 23 percent.

"This trend supports our initiatives directed at getting guns off the street," he said. "The safest county is getting safer."  

Mangano was accompanied to the address with his wife and two sons. During the speech, he commended police officer Michael Frank, who responded to a call in North Valley Stream and rescued a homeowner who was unconscious from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by an in-house generator. Mangano concluded his address with a promise to the county's residents to return their home to greatness.

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