Citing the most severe economic conditions in the past two decades, the Nassau County Legislature voted on Wednesday, Oct. 29 to approve an amended 2009 county budget in a 10-9 vote along party lines. The approved budget includes significant cuts in essentially every county service to the budget recently offered by County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi, with no effect on the 3.9 percent tax increase.

Presiding Officer Diane Yatauro (D-Glen Cove) said, "This was perhaps the hardest decision I have had to make. These additional cutbacks, beyond what the administration first proposed, will affect many people. It is the last thing we in the legislature wanted to do, however, the economic reality of the last eight weeks has made these cutbacks necessary."

In response to the fiscal impact of the Wall Street crisis, the budget includes substantial cuts to virtually every department and to numerous programs, after diligent work with each county department in an effort to make the most reasonable reductions.

Some of the largest cuts were made in the following areas:

There will be no budgeted salary increases for the approximately 700 non-union employees throughout the county. This includes employees at the County Legislature, the County Executive's Office, the County Clerk's Office, the District Attorney's Office, the County Comptroller's Office and the County Assessment Office.

By adopting a voluntary four-day workweek initiative, the county hopes to attract 100 of their 8,500-member workforce to opt into the program. This will result in $1 million in savings.

The county plans on not replacing 200 employees who leave county service. This translates to a $7.5 million savings and brings the county closer to the goal of streamlining the size of government.

The 2009 budget will create a new sub-object code under the general tax levy to capture the anticipated $4.2 million in value of new construction that will occur in the county in the upcoming year. It is important to note that in its June 3 Preliminary Report of Findings and Recommendations, the New York State Commission on Tax Relief stated, "The commission proposes capping annual growth in the property tax levy at 4 percent, or 120 percent of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), whichever is less. New construction, which results in an increase to the tax levy, may be added to increase the capped amount." The commission also set forth a specific recommendation that "New construction should be added to the levy limit. The construction of new homes and businesses, and major additions and renovations of existing buildings, expand the school district's tax base without affecting existing taxpayers. This new growth should be added to the levy cap each year."

Salaries in some departments have been amended to subtract $6 million from the budget, which reflects a decrease in anticipation of givebacks of 1 percent of the average 3 percent raise by various county labor unions.

The school crossing guard budget line will receive a $1 million reduction with no layoffs or reductions in benefits. School crossing guards will continue to be positioned at every location that is currently staffed and will be compensated only for time spent working in title. Prior to this budget, crossing guards were performing clerical work in the Nassau County Police Department during the time schools are not in session. While not the largest cut in the budget, this issue was certainly the most vocal. It was standing room only in legislative chambers on the day of the vote as a large number of uniformed crossing guards were present to protest the cuts. Jerry Laricchiuta, president of the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA), was there in support of the employees. Also present was Nassau County Police Commissioner Lawrence W. Mulvey, under whose purview the crossing guards work.

The sales tax has also been re-estimated to a growth of one-half of 1 percent, compared to a previous estimate of a 2.1 percent growth.

In announcing the budget adoption Presiding Officer Yatauro said, "The public should know this lengthy process of examining every county department line by line was painstakingly taken and intensely debated. The end result of all our analysis and discussion has positioned us close to $30 million in additional savings for our taxpayers."

Budget Review Chairperson Leg. Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury) said, "Difficult economic times require extremely difficult decisions to be made on a basis of fiscal integrity and honesty which is not compromised. I am proud to be part of a team that has done so much to ensure that the county never returns to 1999 when it was on the brink of bankruptcy."

Minority Leader Peter Schmitt (R - Massapequa), speaking for the Republican delegation of the Nassau County Legislature, was critical of the budget, and said the GOP legislators had wanted County Executive Suozzi to eliminate his proposed 3.9 percent property tax increase, make good on promises to add detectives to fight surging heroin and gang problems, and to maintain funding for vital youth programs. "Times are tough in Nassau County," said Leg. Schmitt, adding, "Republican legislators have been warning Suozzi for years that the county spending was too excessive. The current downturn in the economy has only exasperated a desperate situation.

"We have all been forced to tighten our belts and stretch our dollars further; Mr. Suozzi must now do the same," he said. Having proposed a 5 percent cut to his legislative budget, the legislator said, "There is no reason this cannot be done countywide. Salary cuts can be made by eliminating 'vacant-but-funded' positions which have become a staple in Suozzi budgets.

"There's not another bailout in sight for Nassau County," Leg. Schmitt continued. "Now is the time to take action to cut current spending. Now is not the time to raise taxes for anybody. It is regrettable that our county executive's first instinct in a budget crisis is to raise taxes." Leg. Schmitt added that a 5 percent cut in countywide department spending would add up to $22 million in savings. "I think our suggestions were thoughtful and fair, "he said. "All budgets are supposed to plan for rainy days - and it's pouring!"

Regarding the legislature's approval of the 2009 budget, Nassau County Comptroller Howard Weitzman said, "This year the members of the Nassau County Legislature were faced with anything but 'business as usual' when it came to approving the county's spending plan for 2009 after the budget process was wrestled to the ground by an unprecedented worldwide economic crisis that has greatly changed the financial outlook for the county. But the county executive and majority lawmakers have risen to the difficult task of making tough decisions. Their amendments to the 2009 budget will help the county begin to cope with the real possibility of harsh economic times ahead. Together, we have begun the hard work of facing the fiscal tsunami that now confronts us all."

Comptroller Weitzman added that the county "may have only just started down that arduous path. With these amendments, the administration and majority members have given the county a financial framework to start with, but as future events unfold in the near term, it will become obvious if more aggressive action might be necessary. I am confident that they will continue to do the right thing for the hard-pressed taxpayers of this county."

County Executive Suozzi said, "I commend the Democratic-led legislature for acting very responsibly in the face of this economic downturn, which could even worsen, depending on state actions. The reduction in anticipated sales tax revenue was one of the major reasons the legislature took action."

Presiding Officer Yatauro said she wished to "thank County Executive Tom Suozzi for his invaluable assistance in this process. His staff worked with our staff around the clock for weeks to bring this budget to fruition."