Operation SPLASH members said they’ve gotten an unprecedented amount of help with the cleaning and conservation of the South Shore Estruary since Ed Mangano became County Executive. Not in SPLASH’s 22 years of operation has the County had such a “open door environmental policy,” members said.

Governor Cuomo designated this area by the industrial park in Freeport, as a vital reconstruction zone. The plan is to fund the strengthening of the infrastructure - to “revitalize, harden and create resiliency.” 

Superstorm Sandy caused floods of more than 6 feet in the area of vital infrastructure – including 2 power plants. It has an integral stake in all the CRZ zones set up by the State.

“Ed’s been very influential in getting things done as part of an extensive FEMA operation,” a member said. “We’ve so far found and removed kitchen sinks, bulkheads, backyard toys, furniture from the trees and surrounding land.” And the County has added sonar power to find boats that sank after Sandy. Officials found 40 boats the first week.

The members say they’re just hoping Mangano is given the opportunity to finish the job. “These are not 1 term, 4 year projects.” County Executive Mangano toured the Estruary with SPLASH members last week.

“I need to know, I need to see it for myself,” Mangano has said of the marsh and waterway cleanup plan. “I don’t want to hear about it and sign something that says begin the work. I want to see if there’s progress being made, do you need more help? How can we further assist you?”

“This is another step forward,” Mangano said. “We’ll continue to work with the state and federal governments to protect and cleanup the environment.”

“So many people enjoy the beauty and serenity of the County’s South Shore. We want that to continue.”

Mineola, NY – Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano’s fourth consecutive No-Property Tax Increase Budget was today approved by the County Legislature.  The budget reduces spending and continues to deliver important services for the residents of Nassau. Aggressive fiscal management and a continued commitment to spending cuts is evident as County Executive Mangano and the Republican Legislative Caucus have cut over $330 million in wasteful spending from Nassau’s budget while steadily closing the $378 million in budget deficits inherited from the prior administration.

  “This budget protects families and seniors while also paving the way for continued economic growth by holding the line on property taxes for a fourth year in a row and by cutting spending so that we never return to the poor fiscal policies of the past,” said County Executive Mangano. “After three hard years of shared sacrifice, Nassau County is on a firm, stable path because of the tough and difficult choices we’ve made to cut spending and implement successful public-private partnerships. The progress we have made over the past three years ensures we never return to the days in which Nassau taxed too high, spent too much and reformed too little.”  

Protecting residents from a property tax hike is more important than ever as families and seniors have faced daunting challenges, most notably the devastation wrought by Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Irene and the lingering economic impacts from the recent recession. County Executive Mangano’s policies of freezing property taxes, coupled with the elimination of the Home Energy Tax, have saved taxpayers $495 million from the financial plan of the prior administration.  

“Reforms over the past four years have truly set forward a path of recurring savings without the need for recurring property tax hikes,” concluded County Executive Mangano. The Mangano administration has successfully reduced spending even while pension costs have more than doubled since County Executive Mangano assumed office and health insurance costs for family coverage have escalated to $21,000 per County employee in 2014.  

Faced with these harsh realities, County Executive Mangano chose to cut expenses rather than tax already overburdened County residents. As a result of strong fiscal management, the County’s budgeted workforce is 7,395 positions for 2014, a 20.4% reduction from 2009 authorized levels. The choices made were tough, but necessary to protect and energize the local economy. In fact, County Executive Mangano was awarded with the top New York State Local Government Efficiency and Cost Cutting award in 2013.   Public-private partnerships have also played a vital role in controlling costs and restoring the County’s finances.

On January 1, 2012, the Mangano administration entered into a successful bus public-private partnership with Veolia Transportation that delivers bus service to Nassau residents at a cost that is $33 million less than what the MTA proposed and provides significant operational benefits. The Mangano administration was also able to generate savings for taxpayers by privatizing the delivery of inmate healthcare services at the Nassau County Correctional Center. The initiative with Armor Correctional Health Services commenced in 2011 and is generating annual savings of $7 million.  

The extensive actions undertaken have firmly placed Nassau on the road to recovery. Nassau County’s unemployment rate has fallen below 6% for the first time since 2008 and is lower than both New York State and National numbers.  

Hain Celestial chose to move its International Headquarters and its 500 jobs to Nassau County. Arizona Beverage Company, a cornerstone of the food and beverage industry, chose to keep its home in Nassau when it outgrew its corporate headquarters and needed a new facility. Nassau County is becoming the Hollywood East of the film and television production industry as Grumman Studios and Gold Coast Studios are both helping to contribute over $140 million annually in economic benefit to the local economy.  

Most recently, County Executive Mangano announced a public-private partnership with Bruce Ratner’s Nassau Events Center team for renovation and continued operation of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. In addition to creating new jobs and benefiting the local economy, this project will keep Nassau County as a destination for world-class sporting events, concerts and family entertainment for generations to come.   Building on his efforts to help put people back to work and reduce citizens’ reliance on social services, County Executive Mangano launched a free job finding application – Nassau Works – that notifies job seekers of job opportunities. A similar application – Nassau Now – was launched by the Mangano administration to help residents better communicate with government. Technological upgrades have also taken place in the Department of Public Works so that residents can track snowplow operations during storms and know when roadways are clear for travel.

Mineola, NY – Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano announced today that the Nassau County Private Sector Job Fair, which will be held on November 4th at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale has already confirmed 285 employers and resource programs as well as several Veteran agencies registered thus far.

Employers from across Long Island will be seeking candidates for positions including entry and middle management level, licensed professionals, hospitality and food service industries, banking staffing, and individuals with technical and IT experience. Companies participating are looking to fill between three and 200 positions. A partial list of employers who are looking for qualified employees is listed below

There is no charge for admission and parking at the Coliseum is free.  Veterans’ admission begins at 9:00 a.m., while doors open for General Admission at 10:00 a.m.

County Executive Mangano stated, “We are extremely grateful to our business partners for participating in this Job Fair which is expected to draw more than 10, 000 job seekers.  My administration remains committed to helping our Nassau County residents find employment opportunities and improve their economic hardships, as well as helping our local businesses recruit qualified employees in a large variety of industries

Monday, November 4, 2013

9:00 AM (Veterans Admission) – 2:00 PM

10:00 AM (General Admission) – 2:00 PM


WHERE:

Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Free Parking

1255 Hempstead Turnpike

Uniondale, NY 11553

EDEN LAIKIN |Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano’s aggressive and successful job creation efforts have earned him the endorsement for re-election of the Long Island-based Carpenters Local 290.
Local 290 - one of the largest private-sector unions in the Nassau Suffolk Building Trades Council – joins other unions who have thrown their support behind Mangano, including the Plumbers Local 200, Iron Workers Local 361, and Operating Engineers Locals 138, 30, 15 and 15d.
“Mangano has completed the deal for the new Nassau Coliseum and has brought in many jobs through the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency, where I serve as a senior board member,” said Carpenters Local 290 president, Christopher Fusco. “Mangano also has plans for a new crime lab, a family court building, and ice skating in Eisenhower Park.”
Mangano has “earned our support and, more important, our vote on Election Day,” Fusco said.

New Storm Recovery and Rescue Equipment Unveiled

Mineola, NY – On the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy’s landfall, officials from the National Weather Service (NWS)  recognized Nassau County as “Storm Ready” to meet any potential disaster.

This national declaration is a far departure from the “F” in readiness that Nassau County earned from the State Senate Homeland Security Committee under the prior administration.

Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano said of the designation: “From planning to communicating directly with our residents, we are Storm-Ready to face any disaster that may come our way.”

The National Weather Service’s “Storm Ready” designation is awarded to jurisdictions that demonstrate a proven ability to react to the threat of weather-related emergencies.  To qualify for the designation, communities must have established prescribed criteria for meeting a crisis – including advanced planning, safety programs, proven safety skills, effective communication, and sufficient resources to cope with any event before it strikes and while it unfolds.

Nassau County’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) maintains state-of-the-art radio, an Orion LX weather station, video, internet, telephone equipment as well as sufficient emergency vehicles to address any potential weather-related disaster.  The new technology includes weather radios with charging ports for each of the County’s storm shelters.

The Office of Emergency Management also communicates directly with residents.  The Office conducts annual Safety Fairs and Hurricane workshops and works closely with volunteer groups to promote public awareness of disaster threats. They distribute  preparedness literature and newsletters to residents and business owners.  During weather emergencies a meteorologist from the National Weather Services’ Upton facility is stationed at OEM for the duration of the event.  The OEM location has audio and visual capabilities that monitor any storm’s path and the recovery efforts which follow.

The “Storm Ready” program began in 1999 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  It is the National Weather Service’s method of recognizing municipalities that are truly prepared for the wrath of Mother Nature. Nassau County has experienced its share of catastrophic events in recent years. These include hurricanes, tornados, severe thunderstorms, blizzards, flooding, and earthquakes.

County Executive. Mangano also announced today the County’s purchase of new recovery and rescue equipment that is critical in sustaining the level of response during weather-related emergencies. Purchases include solar-powered traffic signal trailers and message signs that will not fail during power outages; high-axel vehicles; and new radios that will improve communications between first responders.

“While Nassau County faced some of the darkest days in its history, we were able to answer the call and deal with the devastation of Superstorm Sandy,” County Executive Mangano said. “My administration was aggressive in putting together response plans for all emergencies. Just one year before Sandy, Hurricane Irene sounded the warning bell and we listened. I am proud to accept this “Storm Ready” designation from the National Weather Service.”

Mangano recognized and thanked the men and women of our Police Department for their work in helping sustain this level of excellence; Office of Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Craft and his staff for their dedication, and all the first responders.

By Eden Laikin

Nassau residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed by Superstorm Sandy will get a reduction in the property taxes they paid this year as well as a credit toward next year’s taxes, and the state will make up for the difference in tax revenue for the County – thanks to an initiative by Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano which was signed into law, by Governor Andrew Cuomo, last week.

County Executive Mangano announced the new Sandy relief initiative today, in the Ceremonial Chambers of the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola – joined by Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray, Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto and Presiding Officer Norma Gonsalves.

“Today, we renew our pledge to help all residents recover from the damages they endured by announcing plans that allow property owners victimized by Sandy to receive a property tax refund or credit,” Mangano said.  “For those homeowners who were devastated by the storm and are still struggling to restore their homes, this necessary property tax relief measure is long overdue.”

Under the “Superstorm Sandy Assessment Relief Act” – signed into law October 22nd – Nassau County will adjust, retroactively, any property tax assessment to account for losses in value due to Superstorm Sandy.

Under the program, homeowners who filed a “Property Damage Review Form” with the Department of Assessment will not have to resubmit any additional paperwork unless asked to do so by the County.

Homeowners who have yet to report structural damages caused by Superstorm Sandy may be asked to submit a “Property Damage Review form” that is being prepared by the New York State Office of Real Property Tax Services.

The amount of a tax refund, credit or assessment reduction will depend upon the FEMA damage assessment determination and/or inspections that were conducted by the Department of Assessment based on bills paid to licensed contractors or paid homeowner insurance claims.

All Superstorm Sandy-affected homeowners are reminded to contact the Department of Assessment at (516) 571-1500 to ensure that they are registered for and will receive the property tax relief that they deserve. The  new law begins a 90-day window during which to apply.

Mangano said that 72,000 households filed for FEMA assistance after Sandy.

“Any legislation that provides palpable relief to residents is great,” Supervisor Murray said. “Residents can use the dollars they get back in refunds toward rebuilding their homes. and the costs won’t impact homeowners in the surrounding area.”

Supervisor Venditto said he’d had never seen devastation like thi9s in his 64 years living in Massapequa, and he commended the County executive and the county and town workforces for tremendous disaster recovery efforts.

At the candidates’ second debate this week, County Executive Ed Mangano outlined multiple accomplishments he’s made in his first four years  - while his opponent, Tom Suozzi, continued speaking about the same vision for economic growth and transit oriented development he’s campaigned on since 2001.

Mangano, who is running for a second term, said that while his opponent spent 8 years “visioning,” he has actually been accomplishing tasks: Nassau currently has the lowest unemployment rate in the state; thousands of jobs have been brought here and retained; the County has had the highest sales tax growth in the state and four projects are underway to convert vacant office buildings, near train stations, into affordable housing units for young professionals.

In his opening statement, Mangano said that unlike Suozzi, he has not raised property taxes in 4 years, repealed the energy tax Suozzi implemented and stopped a planned 16.5 % tax hike.

“High taxes kill jobs,” Mangano told the crowd of business officials at the Long Island Association debate. “My cost-saving policies have been recognized by the State.”

He said he’s done this by reducing the size of government by 20% and eliminating millions of dollars in wasteful spending. He boasted about being the one to finally get a development deal for the dilapidated Nassau Coliseum and surrounding area – one that’s entirely privately financed; and he said the new arena, and nearby indoor ice skating rinks, new athletic fields, and the Cosmos’ Soccer Team Practice facility, together with other development eyed for the Coliseum’s vast parking lot, will become a world-class sports and entertainment district.

Other public-private partnerships Mangano entered into have saved the County millions of dollars more, he said – including those for bus service and inmate health care at the jail.

“An aggressive economic outreach plan kept Hain Celestial from moving its national headquarters to New Jersey and attracted several other business to relocate or expand here, creating more well-paying jobs and more sales tax revenue,” Mangano said. “And to further reduce the demand on social services, we’ve invested in job training and re-training.”

Suozzi opened by saying that “growth is the key to Nassau County’s future. We have to grow or die. It’s not sustainable this way.” He spent the rest of his allotted time, blaming Mangano for the increase in school taxes - blame he himself dispelled during his term. And he said he had a plan to make Nassau County “great again.” He failed to outline the actual plan, however.

Responding to a question about progress in storm preparation and recovery on the anniversary of Sandy, Mangano referenced two awards he’s won for his efforts before, during and after the storm – and the fact that on this same day, the National Weather Service declared Nassau as “Storm Ready” for the first time in its history. In contrast, the County received a grade of “F” in disaster preparedness – from a State Senate committee, under Suozzi.

Mangano also spoke about tapping little known grants to buy new equipment in preparation for another severe weather event.

“I’m very proud of our emergency management team and our first responders,” County Executive Mangano said. “We have emphasized preparedness, and other emergency management teams have traveled here from as far away as Paris, to see how a densely populated suburban county did this evacuation and recovery without loss of life. We protected homeowners then moved to recovery, and now we’re on to rebuilding.”

Mangano went to Washington, D.C. last year to help develop a comprehensive recovery plan and to fight for supplemental allocations for Nassau County. “The result was a $6.7 billion plan to restore and re-build smarter, stronger and better,” he said, lamenting that bureaucracy and read tape made it so that people are just this week –after a year has passed – receiving  checks from the Federal and state governments.

“But it is beginning to move forward,” Mangano said. “Next, we needed to look at businesses and now we’re moving to infrastructure – wastewater treatment plants, bridges, bulkheads.”

He said all this was accomplished with relationships and the best communication ever. Before Sandy made landfall, Mangano put together teams of county, state, and federal workers to implement a hazard-mitigation plan.

Mangano said he was committed to building a stronger Nassau County - post Sandy.

Suozzi responded by saying there has not been enough, formalized follow-up plan since the re-building stage began. And, he named some environmental groups who endorsed him in this race.  

In response to a question about NIFA, Suozzi - who was County Executive from 2002-2010 – said the control board is still necessary under the current administration.

Mangano countered by quoting a 2013 column by Newsday’s Joye Brown which confirmed what he’s been saying since the board took over. Basically, Brown writes that the board cut Suozzi significant slack during his years in office and that had they used the same, more stringent accounting rules with Suozzi, that they do now with Mangano, NIFA would have taken over long ago, during Suozzi’s term.

And Mangano said he had no plan to raise property taxes next year, if he is re-elected, either.

He said Suozzi’s tax increases were regressive, and led only to the highest unemployment rate and the lowest sales tax growth, in the region.

“We’re building a stronger economy, with more jobs and housing opportunities,” Mangano said. “150 small businesses have stayed, and grown, in Nassau just this year.”

Later, Mangano quoted a 2008 New York Post editorial that said Suozzi was seeking to hike Nassau’s tax levy - double the tax cap that he championed.

In response to Suozzi’s claim that the new HUB plan is not “ambitious enough,” Mangano said he and his team have put together the best public-private partnership in the nation, with Barclay’s Bruce Ratner and Nassau Events Center.

“We’re going to have a world class Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and entertainment district and we’ll get to shed every cost for the arena, for the next 42 years. We’ll no longer have to pay the utility, buy seats, a scoreboard, or pave the parking lot – 0 expenses,  and $4.4 million, minimum, or 8% of the gross revenue, will come into the County each year. And that payment will increase after 5 years. The lease for the newly renovated Coliseum also saves the 2,000 full-time jobs there and maximizes the ability to redevelop the surrounding parking lot. Others have talked about doing a project at the HUB, we found a way to do it.

Suozzi responding by inferring that Ratner was the wrong choice for the redevelopment because he would not want to build a state-of-the-art arena that would  compete with his new Barclays Center.

Suozzi also said he was not planning to run for “higher office” and just wanted to lead the County once again. In 2007, he ran an unsuccessful race for Governor and critics say he ignored Nassau for all those months.

In Mangano’s closing statement, he said that Nassau was on the right track, financially, and that “government doesn’t need any more of your (taxpayer) money.”