By Hank Russell
By a 12-6 vote along party lines, the 2025 Nassau County budget was recently approved. At an amount of $4.2 billion, the budget calls for no tax increases.
As previously reported in Long Island Life & Politics, some of the highlights of the budget included using $16.9 million from the fund balance to be used for the sewer fund, adding positions in the Police, Comptroller’s and Corrections Departments, funding over 300 full-time job vacancies and providing $185.0 million for early intervention and special education services.
In proposing the budget earlier this month, County Executive Bruce Blakeman noted that the county experienced “negative growth” and took “a cautious approach” that he said was “preferable” when coming up with the budget. “Projecting growth has been very unpredictable given the many looming economic worries,” he said.
Democrats were unhappy with the budget, namely Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove). “This marks the third consecutive budget in which County Executive Blakeman has broken his promise to cut taxes and fees in Nassau County, further eroding trust in his leadership, and his reliance on reserves and budgetary sleight of hand is unsustainable and reckless,” she said.
Calling the budget “a one-time fix and a temporary Band-Aid for a chronic problem,” DeRiggi stated, “We demand a comprehensive and transparent financial strategy that secures long-term stability and genuinely delivers on the promises that have been made to taxpayers.”
While DeRiggi decried the lack of tax cuts in the budget, fellow Legislator Debra Mulé (D-Freeport) said the county should consider raising taxes, citing news reports on how other Long Island towns are piercing the tax cap.
In a video of the meeting obtained by LILP, Mulé said, “We should be looking at our budget under these circumstances because the reasons that apply to [the towns] apply to us.”
In response, Blakeman said in a statement, “I’m very pleased that the Republican Majority unanimously passed our no tax increase budget over the objections of Democrats who wanted a tax increase to give them more money to squander away on wasteful spending.”