Legislature Home
Nassau County Home
Legislature Home Nassau County Home |
|
|
March 16, 2001 Dems vow ongoing monitoring as Gulotta bows out
Mineola, NY - Members of the Democratic majority of the Nassau County Legislature, who have spent the past year steering the county on a steady course through tough and ongoing scrutiny of County Executive Thomas Gulotta's faulty budget practices, costly contract negotiations, and mismanagement of government resources, vowed this week to continue serving as watchdogs during the County Executive's final months in office. The budget review process was a key element in successfully closing the $200 million fiscal 2001 budget gap Democrats inherited. "The Democratic caucus will continue to monitor closely the 2001 budget and ongoing financial condition of Nassau County, just as it has this past year, and to encourage the County Executive to govern in a responsible manner during his last months in office. There is still much to be done to right the wrongs of the past and to set this county on a path to fiscal health. We intend to make sure this time is not wasted," said Deputy Presiding Officer Roger Corbin (D-Westbury) on behalf of the Democratic majority. Legislator Corbin added that "It is essential that we ensure that Gulotta adhere to the sound policies in the 2001 budget, including reduced spending across the board, particularly on outside contractors when we budgeted personnel to do necessary work in hour." Democratic lawmakers began moving toward budget reform immediately after taking office. They proposed a charter amendment, which was passed by a huge majority of voters in November's election, giving the legislature the right to approve the County Executive's personal service contracts and they sought independent oversight from the state to ensure fiscal responsibility, demanded and produced a balanced and realistic budget for 2001, and developed a progressive four-year financial plan that would be a blueprint for the county's financial future. Tossing out past budget practices, the Democratic majority encouraged a smart reduction in headcount through early retirement, severance plans and cuts in patronage positions and eliminated unjustifiable perks to county employees, thereby downsizing the county workforce without decimating county services and programs. The Democrats restored funding to programs, such as youth and mental health, which Gulotta had cut, and passed key capital projects, which improve our quality of life such as Operation Downtown. "We have worked hard this year to implement our agenda, which is to balance recurring expenses with recurring revenue and not balance the budget on the backs of the people who need county services the most," said Legislator Corbin. "We plan to spend the next several months making sure the County Executive acts responsibly and in the best interest of Nassau County residents." |