By Hank Russell
Nassau County Legislative Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton called the $4.44 billion budget proposed by County Executive Bruce Blakeman a “house of cards” after the Nassau County Finance Authority (NIFA) rejected the budget.
On November 26, NIFA voted against the budget, mostly due to its reliance of the fund balance as a revenue source, and called on Blakeman to present a new budget by December 10 that does not use the fund balance for revenue.
“Bruce Blakeman’s budget has now been officially rejected by NIFA—a resounding indictment of his failed leadership,” said DeRiggi-Whitton D-Glen COve). “This crisis is no longer theoretical; it’s here. If Blakeman won’t act, the Legislature must step in before Nassau County’s finances spiral even further out of control.”
DeRiggi-Whitton said that NIFA’s rejection underscores concerns that Blakeman’s reliance on raiding reserve funds and employing budgetary gimmicks is both unsustainable and potentially illegal. The watchdog authority has criticized the administration’s failure to address structural deficits while warning of severe financial consequences if immediate corrections are not made. “Blakeman’s budget is a house of cards built on borrowed time,” she said. “NIFA has made it clear that his actions violate basic financial principles. He’s gambling with Nassau’s future, and taxpayers will pay the price.”
Under Blakeman’s leadership, according to DeRiggi-Whitton, Nassau County has far exceeded its budget for outside legal services, approving exorbitant contracts for private law firms — some at rates as high as $1,200 per hour — without required legislative or NIFA approvals. According to NIFA, legal costs shot up from over $9 million for outside counsel in 2023 to more than $14.5 million this year. “[T]hese increases have potentially shown a lack of management at a critical County department,” said NIFA in its resolution.
“Blakeman has no problem handing out million-dollar contracts to outside lawyers who pad his political campaign war chest while telling taxpayers to make do,” said DeRiggi-Whitton. “This is fiscal mismanagement at its worst.”
Additionally, DeRiggi-Whitton alleged that Blakeman redirected $10 million in federal COVID relief funds — intended to support struggling families and businesses — into a slush fund for promoting Nassau’s 125th anniversary events, calling the move “irresponsible and shameful.”
DeRiggi-Whitton added that over $800,000 earmarked for essential equipment for first responders, such as new turnout gear for volunteer firefighters and crime-fighting tools for local police, remains unspent. Similarly, more than $90 million in opioid settlement funds sits unused, even as the epidemic continues to devastate communities. “Blakeman’s refusal to release these funds shows just how little he prioritizes the safety and well-being of Nassau residents,” said DeRiggi-Whitton. “Our first responders and those suffering from addiction deserve action—not indifference.”
Calling the budget “a disaster waiting to happen,” DeRiggi-Whitton said the Democratic minority in the Legislature will create a more financially stable budget if Blakeman isn’t up to the task. “If he can’t do the job he was elected to do, we’ll do it for him.”
Long Island Life & Politics reached out to Blakeman’s office for a response. Blakeman’s sposkesperson Christopher Boyle said in a statement, “Nassau County is the most fiscally sound large county in the United States and this is further evidence of the Hochul puppet’s mischief.”