The new majority of the Nassau County Legislature announced a "First 30 Days" plan¬a blueprint of goals and initiatives they intend to implement during the first month of their term. Top on the list will be to embark on the development of a short-and long-term fiscal recovery plan.

"We intend to roll up our sleeves and get to work on solving the innumerable problems facing this county, with our primary focus on the county's projected $190 million deficit," said Presiding Officer Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury).

Joining the presiding officer at a press conference in Mineola were Deputy Presiding Officer Roger Corbin (D-Westbury), Legislator Lisanne Altmann (D-Great Neck), Legislator Barbara Johnson (D-Port Washington) and Legislator Joseph Scannell (D-Baldwin). Also supporting the First 30 Days of initiatives are Legislators Michael Zapson (D-Long Beach), Patrick Williams (D-Uniondale), Jeff Toback (D-Oceanside), Brian Muellers (D-Glen Cove) and David Denenberg (D-Merrick).

Jacobs said this substantial effort will be headed by a new lead finance analyst whose sole focus over the first two months will be to work with bond rating agencies, State Comptroller Carl McCall, County Comptroller Fred Parola and the legislature's Independent Budget Review Director Tim Sullivan to develop a fiscal recovery plan for FY2000.

Experts on municipal finance and budgeting from around the country have been interviewed, with a final decision expected by the end of the week.

"After weeks of anticipation, we finally have the power and the resources of the Majority to help address the fiscal calamity that has befallen our county," said Legislator Johnson, chairperson of the finance committee.

According to Deputy Presiding Officer Corbin, "The finance analyst will be able to offer us realistic and credible options to dig the county out of this looming $190 million deficit, a deficit left to us."

"Although the county is indeed in serious financial straits, we do have time in which to address these problems and we intend to address them with a multitude of creative solutions," said Legislator Altmann.

In addition to the short-term plan, Democrats said they will also be focusing on developing a long-term (5 year) fiscal stabilization plan that will address current institutional problems such as archaic property tax system, unrealized federal/state aid, expedited tax certioraris settlements, systemic overtime, and more.

Also included in the "First 30 Days" outline is:

* A move to revitalize the committee structure and hold investigative hearings on every county department and agency. The new majority would also like to see oversight budget hearings/management reports on all departments and agencies.

* A push for a fiscal oversight board via state legislation.

* The adoption of rules reforms that will make government more open, accessible and comprehensible.

* A call for the Assessment Review Panel to report its findings by March 1.

* A bi-partisan call for County Executive Thomas Gulotta to restore funding to contract social services agencies for three months to explore the possibility for additional longer-term restorations and a more rational way to allocate cuts, if cuts are necessary.

* A call for the county executive to conduct a comprehensive and extensive search for a new sheriff. "We will ask for an update after two weeks and a recommendation to the legislature by the end of January" said Legislator Scannell.

* Hearings on the overtime situation in police, probation and correction departments; the use and abuse of county cars; and the surplus of county property in preparation for possible legislation for an auction.

* The search for a firm to conduct an independent audit of the county's personnel structure among non-union employees with the goal of receiving recommendations on where county patronage can be cut without affecting the delivery of service.

* Democrats will also be reintroducing several bills that were ignored in the past by the Republican-controlled legislature.

* The Educational Resource Center proposal and the search for a corporate sponsor, a volunteer speaker's bureau that would link up those Nassau residents willing to volunteer their time and expertise with the students in the classrooms.

* Sexual Orientation bill, which would give the Human Rights Commission the power to investigate issues of discrimination against individuals or groups based on sexual orientation. The new legislation would amend and expand the existing powers of the Human Rights Commission to cover discrimination based on sexual orientation.

"The "First 30 Days" list of goals should serve as an outline to the public of what the new majority hopes to accomplish, but we are not limiting ourselves to only those goals highlighted today," said Legislator Muellers. "The blueprint only touches on the many initiatives Democrats will be addressing in the weeks ahead."

"I know with the intelligence, energy and creativity generated by our 10 Democratic legislators, that there will never be any shortage of innovative and new ideas that will once again make this county fiscally solvent and strong" said Jacobs.

Presiding Officer Jacobs said that she plans to inform the public on a regular basis of the legislature's progress toward bringing fiscal stability to Nassau County.