Fight for First Responders Grant Shows Power of Checks and Balances

The events of 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.

That day, 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 came only 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 offered 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 would have passed without these guarantees, and the allocation of resources for districts represented by Democrats would have been 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, County Executive Bruce Blakeman 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 that same period, of the 34 grant requests for districts represented by Democrats, not a single request made it past Blakeman’s desk.

You read that correctly: Thirty-two to zero. That represents an undeniable and unjustifiable politicization of the allocation of county financial resources by the county executive.

These grants are funded through the Legislature’s Community Revitalization Program initiative. Every legislator is allocated the same amount of money each year. Submitting these necessary projects for processing should be merely a ministerial function. Unfortunately, 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’s 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 were 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 before 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 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.