By Scott M. Davis
Wednesday, April 23 demonstrated the importance of checks and balances in ensuring good government in Nassau County - and the dangers of a supermajority in the Legislature.
On that date, the members of the Democratic Minority Caucus, true to our word, provided the necessary vote required to authorize borrowing nearly $430 million to finance County projects in the fiscal year 2025 capital infrastructure plan. The real story is that this vote only came after the Democratic caucus drew a line in the sand and refused to provide the necessary vote until our districts saw meaningful progress toward securing the same financial resources provided to districts represented by Republicans.
The capital plan requires a bond authorization resolution. Pursuant to the county charter, this resolution requires a 13-vote supermajority to pass. In the current configuration of the Legislature, without a vote from one of the seven Democrats, the 12 Republicans were one vote short. Understanding this, our caucus was unified in leveraging this vote to secure equitable allocation of financial resources for districts represented by Democrats, with a priority placed on funding for local police, volunteers, and EMS professionals.
This is a prime example of the danger of a supermajority. With just one more vote, the capital plan passes without these guarantees and the allocation of resources for districts represented by Democrats would be left to the whims of the County Executive – whose record, as you will read below, is abysmal.
The Democratic caucus made a non-negotiable demand: In exchange for the one vote necessary to pass the capital plan – Bruce Blakeman, the County Executive, must stop his blockade of funds for the seven districts represented by Democrats.
Prior to April 23 and dating back to the start of 2024, the county administration had processed and approved 32 grant requests in districts represented by Republicans totaling more than $2.5 million for first responders and other important community projects. During this same period, of the 34 grant requests for districts represented by Democrats, not a single request made it past the desk of the County Executive.
You read that correctly: Thirty-two to zero. This represents an undeniable and unjustifiable politicization of the allocation of County financial resources by County Executive Blakeman.
These grants are funded through the Legislature’s Community Revitalization Program (CRP) initiative. Every legislator is allocated the same amount of money annually. Submitting these necessary projects for processing should merely be a ministerial function. Unfortunately, County Executive Blakeman has polluted the CRP initiatives with partisan politics and has stood in the way of vital projects and resources for first responders in districts represented by Democrats.
It is as if you went to the bank, and the manager, for no legitimate reason, prevented you from making a withdrawal from your account but processes your neighbor’s withdrawal request.
Despite the administration’s attempts at breaking our caucus, we stood firm with the understanding that we are advocating for fair treatment of our districts. No amount of pressure or dissemination of misleading information to the public would force us to back down.
Just prior to the April 23 legislative session, the Democratic Caucus was informed by the administration that the capital plan would include nearly $1.3 million for volunteer firefighters, local police, and EMS squads for our districts. In District 1, this includes more than $32,000, the final amount necessary to fund the purchase of a new ambulance for Rockville Centre EMS, fulfilling a commitment made by myself and Alternate Deputy Minority Leader Debra Mulé.
The first responders and residents in the communities we serve – filled with Democrats, Republicans, and Independents – will receive funding as part of a capital plan that delivers nearly $43 million in bond authorization for districts led by Democrats and over $8.8 million for District 1 infrastructure.
As we move forward, the Democratic Caucus will continue to utilize the vital and necessary power of checks and balances inherent in good government to ensure the fair allocation of resources for the taxpaying constituents of our districts and all Nassau County residents.
Scott M. Davis, of Rockville Centre, has represented the Nassau County Legislature’s First District since 2024.