Comptroller Race Heats Up, Haber Campaign Speaks Out

Election season is heating up. 

A familiar face in North Hempstead politics announced his run for Nassau County Comptroller Thursday. Nassau Legis. Wayne Wink, D-Roslyn, will challenge Republican George Maragos for the post of fiscal watchdog for the county.

Wink, 46, a former North Hempstead councilman who holds a law degree from St. John’s, is the ranking member of the Finance and the Government Services committees. He also serves on the Budget Review Committee. 

“Nassau County’s financial house is broken, and I am running to fix it,” Wink said. 

North Hempstead Supervisor Kaiman sees the Dem field shaping up nicely. “Wayne Wink and [former Comptroller] Howard Weitzman are both talking about it,” Kaiman said. “They are both extremely smart and talented public servants. They both have great skill sets for the job. We’ll see what happens. Either one would be a tremendous asset.”

Weitzman, a two-term comptroller under Tom Suozzi, is the former mayor of Great Neck Estates.

As for his own political prospects, Kaiman said he will not run for county executive in November.

Haber Responds to Mangano's "State of the County" Address

The following is from Democratic Nassau County Executive candidate Adam Haber:

"Mangano’s 'State of the County' address is more of the same, speaking out both sides of his mouth. Mangano says that taxes have not gone up but Nassau's middle class families know they are being squeezed by paying more fees, while government services are getting cut. We need a change from the status quo of the past two administrations that lurch from crisis to crisis, burden families with fees and taxes and fail to create a way forward. We need long term strategic planning and an efficient government that puts Nassau back on track."

$36.4 Million in Child Tax Credits Available to Nassau Families

More than 1 million middle class families across New York State will benefit from a child tax credit that will be enacted as part of the 2013-2014 Budget, the state Division of Budget announced today.

As part of the agreement reached by the governor, the senate and the assembly, families with incomes between $40,000 and $300,000 will be eligible to receive a new child tax credit of $350 per-year for three years. The credit, which will be delivered as a check, will begin in 2014.

In Nassau County, 104,086 families will receive a total of $36.4 million.

Jason Molinet contributed to this notebook.