As two Nassau County Democrats have announced their intentions to vie for the position of county executive, the nine Republican legislators made it clear, at a press conference held Tuesday, that they would not support Thomas Gulotta if he chooses to run for a fifth term as the leader of the county.

Saying this action was prompted by their constituents' responses to Gulotta's political ads touting what he has done for the county, Minority Leader Peter Schmitt, speaking for his delegation, said it was "time for a change" and urged the county executive not to seek re-election. "Fourteen years is enough time for any county executive to set goals and achieve them," said Schmitt.

The minority leader pointed out that under Gulotta's administration, Nassau has been downgraded to the lowest bond rating of any county in the state, the county was brought to the verge of bankruptcy until a state advisory board intervened, departments have become barely functional, and department heads collectively have not met with the chief executive in over four years. "This is a government where the chief executive has lost his grasp on the day-to-day operations of the government," stated Schmitt. "Simply put- he has had his chance to lead, he has failed- it is time for him to go."

When questioned as to who the Republican legislators would support as county executive, Schmitt said that would be a political decision to be made by the Republican leadership and the legislators' statement was governmental, not political.

"We urge the county executive to forego any effort toward re-election, but rather to work full time on behalf of the residents of this county to bring meaningful and structural reform to the budget," said Schmitt.

When asked if the minority members of the legislature would support either Tom DiNapoli or Tom Suozzi, the two Democrats who within the month have announced their intentions to run for the county executive position, Schmitt responded that he would hope that the new county executive would be a Republican. "Charlie Fuschillo, Mike Balboni, Peter King, Rich Guardino, any one of the people standing here, several Assembly members, there's no lack of talent in the Republican Party," commented Schmitt. The only Republican Schmitt ruled out was himself, noting that he planned to run for re-election as county legislator.

Schmitt said that he had spoken to Nassau County Republican Party Chairman Joseph Mondello and the chairman was aware of the stand the legislators were taking, but "This is a call that's being made by the nine legislators, this is not a call being made by the political leadership, the Republican Party." When contacted following the press conference, Tony Santino, spokesperson for Mondello, said that the party was not commenting on the legislators' announcement.

Gulotta's office released a statement following the press conference, calling the legislators' denouncement "Unimportant." The county executive's spokesman John Zaher stated, "Mr. Schmitt is a longtime political opponent. This was to be expected. Frankly we view it as unimportant . This is one more attempt to scapegoat and divert attention from the fact that Mr. Schmitt and his delegation created a $60 million budgetary hole, which contributed to the county's downgrading."

Judy Jacobs, majority leader of the Nassau County Legislature also commented on the role the Republican legislators had in the fiscal problems of the county in relation to their attempt to sever themselves from the county executive. "I feel that we are observers of a family feud and this family feud is coming at a very inopportune time, when everybody should be joining together to right the wrongs in this county. Although Tom Gulotta is county executive and a mess has been created by his fiscal mismanagement, the bottom line is that he didn't create this mess alone. The Republican legislators and the Republican Board of Supervisors had rubberstamped it before and they had the opportunity in October, when it was budget time, to seize the day and join with us [the Democratic majority] in overriding the vetoes of Tom Gulotta and chose not to," said Jacobs. "So, I say, they can't run away now from the past hoping to just live in the present. The past is part of history."