(MINEOLA, N.Y.) - On Thursday, Nov. 5, the Minority Caucus of the Nassau County Legislature voted unanimously against overriding Nassau County Executive Laura Curran’s veto of the Majority’s amendments to her Fiscal Year 2021 budget. The final override vote failed with 11 votes in favor of the override and eight against. Thirteen affirmative votes are required to override the County Executive’s veto.
“By basing their promises to residents upon entirely speculative revenue projections, the Majority’s illegal and reckless budget amendments would have jeopardized funding for public health professionals, law enforcement, our Emergency Ambulance Bureau and other key services during a pandemic,” William Biamonte, Chief of Staff for the Minority Legislature Caucus, said.
Rather than rely upon flimsy revenue streams amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Minority Caucus instead worked with County Executive Curran and within her fiscally responsible FY2021 budget to secure agreements that:
Commit to NICE Bus restoration funding if federal aid does not arrive next year
- Increase funding for nine additional police medics in the Emergency Ambulance Bureau (for a total of 155 budgeted positions)
- Administratively fund the County’s Smart Sprinkler Reimbursement Program
“Because the Majority continues to stand in the way of County Executive Curran’s methodical, cautious and proactive approach to preserving essential services, they will bear full responsibility if their obstructionism results in massive service cuts - the burden of which will fall most heavily upon Nassau's most vulnerable residents,” Biamonte said.