Nassau Legislature Passes 2020 Budget With Several Changes

MINEOLA, NY — Nassau lawmakers have passed the county executive's $3.11 billion budget for 2020, adding a multiple changes of their own, including funding the creation of a crime victims advocate office within the police department to help provide legal assistance to crime victims and witnesses. The changes also include restoring funding for public works road paving projects and providing resources to curb youth vaping and tobacco use.

The Legislatures' GOP majority caucus passed Laura Curran's budget Monday night. The county executive now has 10 days to veto the budget.

Other amendments passed by the caucus:

• Add additional positions to provide the Department of Public Works with additional staff to provide more resources to repave, roads, conduct traffic studies and maintain county-owned lands in our communities.
• Add fire marshal positions to speed up the review and approval of fire systems to make it easier for new and existing businesses to open and expand.
• Add police medics within the emergency ambulance bureau.
• Restore positions in the Department of Health and Consumer Affairs to provide more resources to prevent and reduce youth vaping and tobacco use.
• Train police patrol officers to use weapons to prepare for active shooter situations.

Richard Nicolello, the Legislature's Republican presiding officer, said in a statement he was proud the chamber passed the "common sense" amendments to the budget.

"These amendments will put more resources into the county’s efforts to deal with the State’s ill-conceived 'Criminal Justice Reform,' which poses a real threat to public safety, as well as strengthening departments like the Department of Public Works tasked with repaving our roads," he said.

Curran highlighted the agreed-upon amendments that she said would help ensure the safe implementation of the criminal justice reforms. The budget includes $890,000 in legal services and assistance to crime victims and witnesses, while increasing budgets at the Office of District Attorney and Department of Probation by $2.8 million to support management of the new responsibilities and procedures resulting from reforms.

"My number one priority as County Executive is keeping our residents safe," she said. "That's why as New York State implements new criminal justice procedures, Nassau County will take a proactive approach towards a safe and orderly management of these reforms."

Curran released her proposed 2020 budget last month, which included no property tax increases.