By Jody Kass Finkel
Yesterday, the GOP-led County Legislature continued to ignore the serious imbalances in County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s 2025-2028 proposed budget. When the Legislature rubber-stamped Blakeman’s budget in October, it already had enormous deficits that Blakeman was trying to hide by using fiscal gimmicks that did not comply with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). With last month’s appellate court decision that the red light camera fees are illegal, the County is now facing a much bigger budget gap.
As a candidate for Nassau County Executive in 2021, Blakeman opposed red light camera fees as “outrageously expensive” and promised to cut them. But once elected, Blakeman became addicted to the fees, using them to cover his profligate spending. Even in the face of the court decision that made the fees illegal, Blakeman seems to be hoping that he won’t be forced to confront the growing, gaping hole in his four-year budget plan.
Pretending that the County is off the hook to repay motorists for these illegal fees is irresponsible. The Suffolk County lawsuit on red light camera fees has received class action certification. All the justifications the Court gave in that action apply to Nassau County as well – numerous claimants seeking a relatively small amount of money (here, $100 each), and the issue is precisely the same – they were charged an illegal fee. Suppose there is a judgment against Nassau County (which appears to be a foregone conclusion). In that case, it comes with 9% interest (the illegal program existed for 15 years) and the possibility of an award of attorneys’ fees, in addition to the costs to be paid for the County’s attorneys. The County could be on the hook for over half a billion dollars!
Blakeman’s budget amendment, that was passed by the GOP-led majority in the County Legislature yesterday, addressed the least significant issues, leaving the half-billion dollar hole from the illegal red light camera fees and many other important items unaddressed. Here are some of the other items ignored by the Legislature:
- The deteriorating NUMC situation is a very considerable liability, and the questions raised by NIFA are not adequately reflected in Blakeman’s revised budget.
- Blakeman created a secretive, dangerous militia, which he sprung on taxpayers with zero public input. Blakeman must disband the militia or include funds in the County’s budget to cover the enormous lawsuits and legal costs that the County would be on the hook for in the case of an accident or misbehavior by his inadequately trained, gun-toting deputized residents.
- Blakeman’s four-year budget must stop underestimating and ignoring labor cost increases and other rising expenses, while overestimating revenues.
- Blakeman promised to “cut taxes by over $100 million.” Where are those cuts?
- Blakeman must stop ‘governing by lawsuits.’ The County’s legal bills have tripled on his watch. Blakeman is spending millions to sue and defend lawsuits connected to made-up or imaginary problems. Now, his hand-picked head of NUMC is suing NIFA!
- The budget should include a contingency fund to cover emergencies. This should include, but not be limited to, funds to offset projected coliseum revenues if the casino is delayed indefinitely or loses the bid altogether. Gaming companies have a documented history of declaring bankruptcy and breaking lease obligations as part of their standard operating procedures.
- Blakeman promised to fix the County’s broken tax assessment system, which contributes to the structural imbalance, but by all accounts, he has only made it worse. Until it is fixed, it will continue to impact the County’s finances negatively. It also remains unfair to taxpayers and an enormous boondoggle for third-party tax assessment companies, which typically take 30%—50% of taxpayers’ refunds and make massive campaign contributions to elected officials and candidates.
- The contract between the County and the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) required the County to pay for health insurance for the employees. The plan they were counting on discontinued that policy, and replacement insurance will add considerably to the cost of labor, the County’s most significant expense. Blakeman’s budget still does not account for these expenses.
The GOP-led County Legislature has repeatedly abdicated their budget oversight role, essentially encouraging Blakeman’s run-amok spending on the one hand and ignoring upcoming liabilities on the other. The Legislature has looked the other way as Blakeman reneged on his promises to cut taxes, fix the County’s broken tax assessment system, and spent millions on high-priced lawyers as he drums up imaginary problems and stokes culture wars. But now, there’s no getting around the fact that Blakeman’s reliance on red-light camera fees has caused a new half-billion dollar hole in the County’s four-year budget. Unfortunately, the Legislature failed yesterday to press Blakeman on his out-of-control spending and hemorrhaging budget. Because they are too lazy or too afraid to force some discipline on Blakeman, the GOP-led County Legislature is largely to blame for letting Blakeman continue to kick the can down the road, leaving it to future taxpayers to foot the bloated Blakeman bill.
Ms. Kass Finkel is the coordinator of NRGG, a nonpartisan group of residents working to implement strategies to bring transparency, accountability, and integrity to Nassau County government. The Working Group that guides NRGG’s strategies and activities is composed of residents from across Nassau. They can be found on social media: www.facebook.com/nassauresidentsforgoodgovernment * https://x.com/nassauresidents * https://bsky.app/profile/nassauresidents.bsky.social