Mineola, NY - Projecting a small surplus for 2002, Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi delivered his quarterly report to the Nassau Interim Finance Authority (NIFA). Citing initiatives outside the scope of the Four-Year Recovery Plan, the County Executive showed revenue growth beyond that projected at the beginning of the year.

"As the numbers show for this quarter we are ahead of schedule but we are still digging ourselves out of a very big hole," said County Executive Suozzi. "By looking at government in a new way, we have acted on smart government initiatives that target and eliminate waste and fraud. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but it is still off in the distance."

The County's workforce reduction program will result in a savings of almost $10 million and reforms in the County's Tax Assessment Review department will save almost $20 million. In addition, The County recovered more than $12 million in uncollected environmental grants and reduced overtime costs in general fund departments by almost $4.5 million.

Additional smart government initiatives include: terminating outside contracts and bringing the work in-house; moving departments from leased to county owned space; eliminating unnecessary telephone lines; and the recovery of Workers Compensation State funds.

But there are still serious threats to Nassau's Fiscal Recovery Plan that include the possible failure of the State Legislature to pass the County's Sewer and Stormwater Authority, exorbitant costs for Police termination payments and projected flat sales tax revenues.

"We will continue cutting costs, consolidating County government, and rooting out waste, fraud and abuse. We will solve the County's fiscal mess," said Suozzi.

SIX-MONTH ACCOMPLISHMENTS * - Completed 23% of all 4-Year Plan Initiatives (70% are on or ahead of schedule or are complete)
Accomplishments	Savings/Revenues
Workforce Reduction (238 to date, 748 by year-end)	$9,700,000
Overtime Reduction in Non-Police Departments	$4,400,000
State Funds from Office of Court Administration	$881,000
Terminated Outside Contracts (brought work in-house)	$3,500,000
FY '03 Assessment Review Commission Reform	$19,000,000
Terminated Leases - Moved Departments to County Owned Space	$400,000
Eliminated Unnecessary Telephone Lines	$217,000
Recovery of Workers Compensation State Funds	$1,300,000
Recovered Unpaid Bills for Ambulance Services	$1,200,000
DWI Forefieture Sale Program - One year ahead of schedule	$800,000
X-Rays for Inmates	$420,000
Uncollected Taxes from Village of Woodsburgh	$400,000
Reduced Number of County Bank Accounts from 200 to 75	$65,000
Drug & Alcohol Expenses Properly Reimbursed by Grants	$4,000,000
Recovered Uncollected Environmental Grants	$12,000,000
Settlement With Technology Vendor	$800,000

Threats To Recovery:
Police Termination Pay
Police Overtime
State Legislature's Failure to Adopt Sewer and Storm Water Authority
Nassau University Medical Center
Sales Taxes
Medicaid Costs Increase
Overtime Pressure Due to Reduced Workforce
Pension Costs