Post by overthecap on Jun 5, 2013 16:49:55 GMT -5
Chutzpah 
NIFA weighs contracts for Albany lobbyists
Originally published: June 5, 2013 5:25 PM
Updated: June 5, 2013 5:45 PM
By CELESTE HADRICK celeste.hadrick@newsday.com
Nassau's financial control board on Wednesday was considering county contracts for two Albany lobbyists, after having rejected them once before.
The board of the Nassau Interim Finance Authority was meeting on that and other issues Wednesday evening in Uniondale.
County Attorney John Ciampoli in April sued NIFA, a state board that took control of the county's finances two years ago because of a $176 million budget deficit, after it rejected contracts for lobbying work last year and other county programs.
NIFA officials argued then that a county in financial distress should not be spending thousands of dollars to lobby Nassau's state senators and assembly persons.
In his lawsuit seeking to overturn NIFA's decision, Ciampoli contended that NIFA turned down the lobbyists' contracts because they had persuaded lawmakers to introduce legislation that would have allowed the county to borrow $192 million without NIFA's approval.
Ciampoli also argued that NIFA exceeded its authority when it blocked his plans to create a novel residential tax refund payment program and when it refused his request to use old bonding authorizations from the county legislature to borrow $192 million to pay overdue property tax refunds.
He also contended that NIFA refused to extend a contract for the county's bond counsel because the counsel disagreed with NIFA.
The lawsuit is pending.
Also Wednesday, NIFA was expected to consider a $125,000 contract with the Leventhal & Sliney law firm to represent the county ethics board.
Attorney Steve Leventhal advises the ethics board, which includes Ciampoli, an appointee of Republican County Executive Edward Mangano, and three other Mangano appointees. Leventhal is the brother of former NIFA board member Paul Leventhal.
NIFA weighs contracts for Albany lobbyists
Originally published: June 5, 2013 5:25 PM
Updated: June 5, 2013 5:45 PM
By CELESTE HADRICK celeste.hadrick@newsday.com
Nassau's financial control board on Wednesday was considering county contracts for two Albany lobbyists, after having rejected them once before.
The board of the Nassau Interim Finance Authority was meeting on that and other issues Wednesday evening in Uniondale.
County Attorney John Ciampoli in April sued NIFA, a state board that took control of the county's finances two years ago because of a $176 million budget deficit, after it rejected contracts for lobbying work last year and other county programs.
NIFA officials argued then that a county in financial distress should not be spending thousands of dollars to lobby Nassau's state senators and assembly persons.
In his lawsuit seeking to overturn NIFA's decision, Ciampoli contended that NIFA turned down the lobbyists' contracts because they had persuaded lawmakers to introduce legislation that would have allowed the county to borrow $192 million without NIFA's approval.
Ciampoli also argued that NIFA exceeded its authority when it blocked his plans to create a novel residential tax refund payment program and when it refused his request to use old bonding authorizations from the county legislature to borrow $192 million to pay overdue property tax refunds.
He also contended that NIFA refused to extend a contract for the county's bond counsel because the counsel disagreed with NIFA.
The lawsuit is pending.
Also Wednesday, NIFA was expected to consider a $125,000 contract with the Leventhal & Sliney law firm to represent the county ethics board.
Attorney Steve Leventhal advises the ethics board, which includes Ciampoli, an appointee of Republican County Executive Edward Mangano, and three other Mangano appointees. Leventhal is the brother of former NIFA board member Paul Leventhal.
