Mineola, NY - Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi today challenged Nassau's Republican Legislators to: "Stop simply telling us what you are opposed to and offer concrete alternatives."

Today, the County Executive offered his two options when he submitted the updated 2003-2006 multi-year plan to the Nassau Interim Finance Authority (NIFA). The plan outlines two possible scenarios for the County's financial future: Option A requires $32.5 million in labor concessions for 2004 and approval by the State Legislature of the Sewer and Storm Water Authority; and Option B, which, in the event the County does not receive help from Albany and the labor Unions, it will implement its contingencies that call for layoffs of up to 650 employees and dramatic and draconian cuts in discretionary and unmandated health and human services, and recreational programs.

"There will be no County property tax increase to balance this budget," said the County Executive. "That was a promise I made last year, and I will keep that promise. I am opposed to layoffs and program cuts, but it is clear that if we do not get the Sewer and Storm Water Authority Legislation and cooperation from our Unions we will have no choice but to take drastic measures in order to balance the budget.

"There is a third option, Option C, which calls upon Republican Legislators to offer their own solution for closing the $60 million budget gap. It is not enough to say you are against the Sewer and storm Water Authority Proposal, against layoffs, against labor concessions, and against further program cuts. You must provide specific alternatives. Which Department would you cut, which program would end, what employee would you fire, and how much will it save," added the County Executive.

The Suozzi administration submitted its 2003 budget and its 2003-2006 Multi-Year Financial Plan to NIFA and the Nassau County Legislature on September 16, 2002. Both documents received approval from the Legislature, the endorsement of Wall Street's three bond rating agencies (Standard & Poors, Fitch, and Moody's), as well as NIFA's approval the County's 2003 budget in full. The NIFA board also gave its qualified approval of the 2003-2006 Multi-Year Financial Plan but given the degree of uncertainty regarding the State budget and the economy, the NIFA board requested that the administration submit an update to the 2003-2006 Multi-Year Financial Plan no later than May 1, 2003.

With the skyrocketing cost of employee health insurance, pension contributions, state mandated programs like Medicaid, and with few growing revenue sources, other counties across New York State have also been forced into similar dramatic measures. Thirty Counties increased property taxes by more than double digits in 2002. County spending on Medicaid grew $4.3 billion last year alone; this year's increase is expected to be even greater. In fact, counties in New York State makeup 85% of the entire local share Medicaid payments in the United States. New York Counties have been forced to slash their workforce, curtail services, and deplete ever-dwindling reserves to keep up with the declining economy and the surging cost of State mandates.