Politics & Government

Jacobs Slams Mangano's Budget Cuts

Woodbury Democrat condemns GOP proposal, saying it will hurt public safety and won't actually save money.

Nassau County Legislator condemned County Executive Edward P. Mangano's layoff proposal, saying it fails to cut real costs and will jeopardize public safety.

Mangano has proposed initially laying off at least 400 Nassau County workers, including workforce reductions in police and social services. More layoffs are possible without concessions from public unions, Mangano said.

"Obviously, they have decided on the layoff route," said Jacobs, D-Woodbury, "In public safety the result would be that in five departments there would be a loss of 294 positions, representing approximately 35 percent of the total headcount reduction."

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That would mean 115 police employees, 79 corrections employees, 69 probation workers, 15 people in the Medical Examiner's office and 16 members of the office of the Fire Commission, she said.

"This move could jeopardize public safety in a time where staffing is already at an all time low," Jacobs said. "And, the decreased staffing does not necessarily translate into savings."

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She said the staff reductions will likely increase the amount of overtime needed for law enforcement authorities to respond to emergencies. "I believe it is safe to predict that the decrease staffing in police has the potential to adversely impact any salary savings," she said.

Mangano says his budget achieves $73.2 million in annual labor-related budget savings. He blamed union leaders for not offering voluntary cuts in their personnel's salaries.

The budget provides that if an additional $75 million in budget savings are not reached by Feb. 1, 2012, additional labor savings/reductions will occur.

"There is still a small window for Nassau’s union presidents to come forward with voluntary concessions that avoid severe layoffs," Mangano said in a statement. "I do not take joy in laying off a single employee or demanding concessions; however, the approved 2012 budget sets a payroll allocation that must be met.”

Jacobs, whose district includes Plainview, said the cuts could have drastic impacts in other areas. In Social Services, the proposal calls for a loss of 144 positions, but most of those positions are reimbursed through state or federal aid, Jacobs said. Losses in public works positions will adversely effect quality of life issues.

"Times are not easy; I am certainly not saying they are and decisions must be made," the long-term Democratic legislator said. "However, facts do help to make the right decisions and keeping the electorate informed is of major importance during these difficult times.

"Brinkmanship, scare tactics, and a lack of study of the impact of actions are not in anyone’s best interest."


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