Curran nixed GOP bid to restore Health Dept. staffing -Updated
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran cut health department personnel in this year's budget
and vetoed a Republican attempt to restore workers to the county agency now overwhelmed by the deadly coronavirus.
County Legis. John Ferretti (R-Levittown) noted the Curran veto on his Facebook page after Newsday reported online Sunday that the number of health department workers in both Nassau and Suffolk has dropped 30 percent since 2010, crippling Long Island's efforts to track and trace the virus.
Ferretti wrote that the Nassau health department and Commissioner Larry Eisenstein "are doing a phenomenal job trying to control the COVID-19 outbreak, despite reduced resources. In the proposed 2020 County budget, passed in 2019, I saw a reduction of Health Department resources and staff and put forward an amendment adding $320k to their budget to help. The County Executive vetoed that additional money. Residents health and safety must always come first."
Ferretti's comment came as two county sources say that Eisenstein is in quarantine. No information is available as to when he went into quarantine or why.
Curran has had nearly daily briefings about the coronavirus' impact on Nassau County. Although Health Commissioner Eisenstein appeared with Curran at the start of the epidemic, he was not present at any of her briefings last week nor did he attend Monday's session. His last appearance with Curran was on March 28.
A Curran spokesman did not respond when asked if Eisenstein was in quarantine.
The spokesman also did not respond to whether Curran regretted cutting Health Department budgeted staff.
Curran, a Democrat who took office in Jan. 2018, gave no reason for rejecting the Republican amendment to restore eight positions to the health department last fall. She didn't mention the health department at all when she issued her Nov. 7 veto memo.
Democratic lawmakers voted unanimously against the GOP attempt to override Curran's veto.
The total health department budget for salaries and fringe benefits this year is $15.6 million.
and vetoed a Republican attempt to restore workers to the county agency now overwhelmed by the deadly coronavirus.
County Legis. John Ferretti (R-Levittown) noted the Curran veto on his Facebook page after Newsday reported online Sunday that the number of health department workers in both Nassau and Suffolk has dropped 30 percent since 2010, crippling Long Island's efforts to track and trace the virus.
Ferretti wrote that the Nassau health department and Commissioner Larry Eisenstein "are doing a phenomenal job trying to control the COVID-19 outbreak, despite reduced resources. In the proposed 2020 County budget, passed in 2019, I saw a reduction of Health Department resources and staff and put forward an amendment adding $320k to their budget to help. The County Executive vetoed that additional money. Residents health and safety must always come first."
Ferretti's comment came as two county sources say that Eisenstein is in quarantine. No information is available as to when he went into quarantine or why.
Curran has had nearly daily briefings about the coronavirus' impact on Nassau County. Although Health Commissioner Eisenstein appeared with Curran at the start of the epidemic, he was not present at any of her briefings last week nor did he attend Monday's session. His last appearance with Curran was on March 28.
A Curran spokesman did not respond when asked if Eisenstein was in quarantine.
The spokesman also did not respond to whether Curran regretted cutting Health Department budgeted staff.
Curran, a Democrat who took office in Jan. 2018, gave no reason for rejecting the Republican amendment to restore eight positions to the health department last fall. She didn't mention the health department at all when she issued her Nov. 7 veto memo.
Democratic lawmakers voted unanimously against the GOP attempt to override Curran's veto.
The total health department budget for salaries and fringe benefits this year is $15.6 million.
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