Nassau GOP budget fixes go nowhere

 

From Laura Curran's veto message

It certainly was a tempest in a teapot.

The Republican majority on the Nassau legislature today voted for a series of amendments to County Executive Laura Curran's $3.3 billion budget.

Legis. Laura Schaefer (R-Westbury) recused herself yet again because of a conflict of interests between county business and her own personal business.

Republicans argued that Curran's proposal to refinance millions of dollars in existing debt through the county's financial control board would cost more than if the county refinanced the debt itself, according to a consultant's report.

But Presiding Officer Richard Nicolello's staff did not respond to requests for a copy of the consultant's report, which allegedly show these costs.

Republicans also removed a 3.5 percent increase in sewer taxes for next year.  Curran had insisted that her budget was a "no tax increase" budget.

Within hours, Curran vetoed the 12 Republican amendments, that included money to combat rat infestations and increases in offices of  minority and Asian-American affairs.  Democratic lawmakers said they would not vote to override.

Although Republicans hold an 11-vote majority on the 19 member legislature, they need at least two Democrats to reach the 13 votes necessary to override the county executive's veto.

So much for the budget amendments.

It was expected that Schaefer would have to start recusing herself after she was hired as a senior associate counsel at McBride Consulting and Business Development Corp. in Melville sometime this summer.

McBride Consulting is a registered lobbyist in Nassau, representing Standard Valuation Services, which did the county's reassessment, and Transdev Services, the county's bus system, as well as other companies that do business with Nassau.

Earlier this month, Schaefer recused herself from voting on a new $250,000 contract for SVS.

Today, one of the budget amendments called for adding $4.235 million to the budget to restore some bus service cuts. Schaefer recused herself again.

Oddly, Schaefer voted with Republicans to approve the amended budget even though it included the increased bus funding. A spokesman did not respond to  an inquiry as to why the amendment vote required Schaefer's recusal but the budget vote did not.

Republicans had complained in its amendment narrative that Curran wanted to use the county's control board, the Nassau Interim Finance authority, to refinance  a half billion dollars of debt to free up money for this year and next. 

But her proposal "fails to account" for the extra costs involved, they said. NIFA refinancing would extend its life another 15 years along with NIFA expenses. From 2011 through 2018, NIFA cost county taxpayers more than $19 million a year on average, including "procurement costs" and operating expenses, according to a recent legislative budget review report.

 "Nassau County's financial advisor, Public Financial Management Inc. ("PFM")advises that once such costs are accounted for, the county refunding of its own debt is a more cost effective means of borrowing," the Republican budget narrative said.

But they did not include the PFM analysis.

Meanwhile, the sewer tax increase is still in the budget.