Nassau County, NY - October 31, 2014 - Acting in the best interests of taxpayers, County Executive Edward P. Mangano, Presiding Officer Norma Gonsalves and Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams today announced bipartisan agreements to improve the quality of life throughout Nassau communities and pay down two decades of tax certiorari debt as follows:  $125 million in 2014; $60 million in 2015; $60 million in 2016; and $60 million in 2017.

“By working together, we have achieved agreements that save taxpayer dollars while increasing the quality of life for residents of this great county,” said County Executive Mangano.  “Today’s agreement is another critical step toward descending Nassau’s borrowing schedule to zero as other assessment reforms take place.  We will continue to follow the NIFA-approved Fiscal Recovery Plan by reducing the backlog through accelerated settlements and remain committed to ensuring residents are not forced to pay for a decade of waste in a single year through higher taxes or service cuts.”

Presiding Officer Norma Gonsalves stated, “This budget protects taxpayers while delivering critical services for our residents.  Together, we are cleaning up decades of debt, enhancing the quality of life in our communities and paving the way for Nassau’s fiscal recovery.”

Kevan Abrahams stated, “Today we are doing the right thing for taxpayers while working together to vote fora budget that says yes to saving lives by reopening the 5th Precinct,expanding theNarcan program, keeping our streets safe by passing the Gun Offender Registry Act, making our environment atop priority by allocating funds to our north shore sewers and outlawing the use of hydrofracking waste and protecting Nassau’sgreatest resource - our children and their education.”

The following bipartisan agreements were also achieved to improve the quality of life for residents:

• Creation of a new Felon Registry for Gun Crimes that requires all felons that are convicted of a gun crime, and those convicted of criminal possession of a firearm in the 4th degree, to register their residence with the Nassau County Police Department.

• Conversion of the Elmont Community Policing Center into the 5th Precinct with a Commanding Officer, Deputy Commanding Officer and Patrol Supervisors to manage presently assigned patrol officers.

• Speed up the 1st Precinct construction schedule by two months.

• Establish a Police Department Anti-Gang Special Unit beginning January 1, 2015.

• Continuation of Body Camera Program for Police Officers in the 5th Precinct, Baldwin, New Cassel, Roosevelt, Uniondale and Westbury as well as the gradual rollout of dashboard cameras for all patrol cars.

• Allocation of $12 million for studying, designing and installing public sanitary sewers in Glen Cove, Sea Cliff and Glenwood Landing that are not currently connected to the Glen Cove Wastewater Treatment Plant.

• Requirements that all Nassau County Police Officers be trained to administer Narcan.

• A new ban against the acceptance of wastewater produced by hydraulic fracturing from sewage treatment facilities located in, owned and/or operated in or by Nassau County. The legislation also prohibits the use of hydraulic fracturing waste, oil extraction waste and natural gas waste on County property and roadways and the sale of hydrofracking waste, oil extraction waste, and/or natural gas waste.

• Requirements for future unclaimed funds to be deposited into an account used specifically for programming offered by the Youth Board, Department of Senior Citizen Affairs, Department of Mental Health, Chemical Dependency and Developmental Disabilities, as well as contract agencies.

• Increase reimbursement rate for homeless shelters from $67 to $72.

• NICE Bus cash and NICE Bus app fare freeze at $2.50 for 2015 as well as Intra-County route MetroCard fare freeze at $2.50 if possible.  Four new representatives will be added to the Transit Advisory Committee (2 additional appointments by the County Executive and one additional appointment each by the Presiding Officer and Minority Leader).

• Health Department to issue amended contract language to clarify that the main priority of municipal representatives is to insure early intervention preschool special education.

• The agreement also includes plans to authorize $33 million in bonding for Termination Pay in January 2015.