Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi presented the county's proposed 2005 budget last week, sticking to his promise of no tax increase.

"This budget sets forth all the right priorities for Nassau County," Suozzi said. "This budget, as with every fiscal document this administration has produced, is responsible, balanced and conservative."

Suozzi touted his own accomplishments as county executive, saying that he fulfilled his promises to balance the budget, stop job cuts and program attacks and end tax hikes for the rest of his first term. "Now that we have solved the fiscal crisis, we can move forward to a bright future," he said.

While Suozzi presented his second budget that didn't contain a tax increase, his first budget for 2003 called for a tax increase of 19.4 percent on the county portion of the total tax bill. Despite receiving criticism from the Republican minority of the Nassau County Legislature, the county executive felt it was necessary to put the country back on the right fiscal path.

He pointed out that 90 days into his first term of office, Nassau County was facing a projected $428 million deficit by 2005 and was under the threat of takeover by the Nassau Interim Finance Authority (NIFA), the state's fiscal oversight board.

Since taking over the helm of Nassau County, Suozzi said the county has balanced every budget, had surpluses each year, built "rainy day" and other reserve funds of over $100 million and paid off more than $100 million in debt early.

Nassau County Comptroller Howard Weitzman said the county executive is justifiably proud of turning the fiscal mess around. "We have had three years in a row of budget surpluses, without increasing property taxes in 2004 or in the proposed budget," he said.

However, Weitzman doesn't share Suozzi's assessment that the fiscal crisis is solved. The county comptroller said he is very concerned for 2006 and beyond since, he said, state mandated expenses such as Medicaid, pensions and health insurance will out run revenues, which are expected to remain stagnant.

Weitzman is projecting a structural deficit of over $260 million in 2006 and nearly $360 million in 2007.

Another concern is the need for the county to move faster to reduce its liability for property tax refunds. According to Weitzman, after 2005, more than $100 million per year, can no longer be paid for by borrowing money. It will have to be funded through the operating budget, adding even more pressure to the county budget.

Suozzi said in the proposed 2005 budget, "we are adding to our investments to solve the tax certiorari crisis that precipitated much of the county's previous failings. By December 2005, we will eliminate bonding for refunds and implement our pay as you go program."

The 2005 proposed budget addresses such areas as public safety and parks and recreation. According to Suozzi, the proposed budget funds 2,650 sworn officers, 206 officers greater than the planned level of 2,444 announced in the 2002 Multi-year Financial Plan. Also, according to the county executive, if retirements grow more than expected, the plan could accommodate the hiring of as many as 300 cadets in 2005 to maintain the 2,650 level. In addition, the proposed 2005 budget commits to 25 new sworn officers and 32 civilians in Corrections and 26 new Probation Department hires above the present headcount.

Suozzi also announced the "Nassau County Parks Are Making a Comeback" campaign, which, he said, contemplates improvements in park benches, bathrooms, ball fields and playgrounds, while hiring 20 additional employees to improve maintenance and operations.

Also according to the county executive, in addition to doubling the county's subsidy to Long Island Bus in order to maintain service due to MTA cuts, during the course of next year, the county will introduce its plan for a mass transit system to service the Nassau HUB, which will be implemented over the next five years.

The county executive is also attempting to take on Albany in his "Fix Albany" campaign, which is critical of Medicaid costs being passed down to the county.

A spokesman for the Nassau County Legislative Minority, which has been critical of fee increases for county services included in the proposed 2005 budget, said the minority caucus, headed by Minority Leader Peter Schmitt, had just received the budget on Thursday morning, Sept. 16, and was in the process of reviewing it.

While Suozzi has put together budgets that reflect no tax increases on the county portion of the tax bill, there may be tax increases coming in 2006-2007 that could reflect the rate of inflation.

The 2005 proposed budget will be reviewed by NIFA and voted on by the legislature by the end of October.