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Post by backdoorit on Jan 12, 2015 21:24:08 GMT -5
Nassau's fiscal experts are closing in on a gloomy conclusion that the county likely ended 2014 with a sales tax deficit of about $70 million -- which could punch a $20 million hole in this year's budget.
The final number is not yet known because Nassau will still receive two more sales tax checks before closing the books on 2014 -- and those checks traditionally bring in about $50 million.
But County Comptroller George Maragos reported yesterday that sales tax collections through November, compared with the same period last year, are down 4.4 percent. He projects that total revenues will be down by $71.7 million.
The county legislature's budget review office projected a drop in receipts of $71.6 million.
County Executive Edward Mangano's budget office, which had been projecting $51.5 million less in sales taxes, in late December amended its predictions to a $67.7 million drop.
The county's financial control board, the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, is projecting a 2014 sales tax deficit ranging from $69 million to $72 million.
Because Mangano assumed a $51.5 million sales tax deficit in 2014 when he proposed his 2015 budget, the larger deficit could mean the county starts the year $20 million in the hole.
But Eric Naughton, deputy county executive for finance, said in a statement, "The administration recognized this issue early in the year and managed the issue to the point where we believe we will finish 2014 with a slight surplus."
Through November, the county collected $1,038.6 billion in sales taxes, compared with $1,086.9 billion through Nov. 2013.
Officials initially blamed a harsh winter for reduced sales tax revenues. They also acknowledged that superstorm Sandy may have provided a one-time boost to spending in 2013.
Monday, Maragos said, "Flat consumer income growth and shifts to online purchasing continue to look like the new norm."
Budget review Director Maurice Chalmers wrote in a memo Monday that analytics company Retail Next reported retail store sales across the nation fell 8 percent during the 2014 holiday season while online sales surged. "This is a significant factor to monitor since not all online sales are taxed," Chalmers wrote.
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Post by SCPD Ret. on Jan 12, 2015 22:32:34 GMT -5
The way those idiots are, they might as well speculate the budget on a game of 3 card monte !!!
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Post by redstone14 on Jan 12, 2015 23:33:27 GMT -5
I'll bet some kind of camera program would solve their problem.
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Post by bohica9 on Jan 13, 2015 0:28:39 GMT -5
I'll bet some kind of camera program would solve their problem. I agree 100%.
I propose a camera program in 1 West Street...
Every lie is a $100 fine.
Ditto with the Nassau Legislature...
Actually ditto for every lawyer
That will close the deficit in a day, No???
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Post by onthejob on Jan 13, 2015 0:47:05 GMT -5
Nassau set to spend $10.8M on once-shelved turf fields January 12, 2015 by PAUL LAROCCO / paul.larocco@newsday.com
Soccer players gathered at Eisenhower Park on July Nassau County is set to spend nearly $11 million on new artificial turf fields at Eisenhower Park -- more than three years after the project was shelved due to budget deficits.
The county legislature's Rules Committee Monday unanimously approved a $10.8 million contract with Laser Industries of Ridge to build seven new turf fields with bleachers and lighting, drawing applause from dozens of union laborers at the meeting.
The contract was first bid in August 2011, but never came to lawmakers after the county's fiscal control board, the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, rejected a similar project amid a $300 million budget deficit.
But NIFA, under new leadership, has supported most of County Executive Edward Mangano's larger expenditures, despite a projected multimillion-dollar shortfall in sales tax revenue in 2014.
"We're in a much better position now and the administration wants to move forward," Brian Schneider, a public works department aide, told the committee.
NIFA chairman Jon Kaiman, appointed in 2013, said he'd reach out to the administration and "they'll need to make the case" for the turf fields project. He added, "It's up to the county to figure out how to best maintain their parks and make necessary long-term investments."
NIFA board member Chris Wright, who opposed the 2011 project, said Nassau's deficit remains an issue: "Although I would rather the county act more fiscally responsibly, if they don't, I'll propose rejecting this contract as well."
Laser Industries has received frequent work from the county and towns, including millions of dollars annually in Oyster Bay. It has contributed $67,000 to Mangano's campaigns since 2010, and in 2014 alone, contributed more than $20,000 to the Nassau GOP Committee.
Presiding Officer Norma Gonsalves (R-East Meadow) read letters supporting Laser from three unions, including Laborers Union Local 1298, which said Laser would give dozens of unemployed members jobs.
"Jobs are scarce and everything we can do to make work available for our union members, I think this body is interested in doing," Gonsalves said.
Environmentalist Jennifer Wilson-Pines raised concerns about chemicals in the turf. "These are things you can't actually put into landfills," she said.
Democratic lawmakers had similar concerns but cited the project's economic benefit for their support. Schneider said Nassau would "markedly" improve revenue from attracting new tournaments at the fields, but had no specific estimates.
"We all know residents love this. The [construction] industry would love this," said Legis. Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury), "but we'd still be foolish not to ask questions."
Also Monday:
The legislature appointed three men to district court posts to fill vacancies, including James Darcy, a Republican Hempstead town councilman who is expected to be replaced on the town board by Bruce Blakeman, a former councilman who later was presiding officer of the county legislature.
The Rules Committee, by a 4-3 party line vote, approved a contract of as much as $300,000 with outside attorneys to represent former Police Commissioner Thomas Dale in a federal lawsuit stemming from the 2013 arrest of a witness in a civil elections dispute. The county, which already has a $175,000 contract with another firm to represent defendants in the case, will pay at least $50,000 to Leahey & Johnson of Manhattan to represent Dale in the Randy White matter, and to also represent the county in another, unrelated lawsuit.
White filed his federal suit in August, claiming that Dale and other police and county officials violated his civil rights in a conspiracy aimed at changing his testimony in a politically charged election case. Dale resigned in December 2013 after his actions came to light.
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Post by crates on Jan 13, 2015 1:38:23 GMT -5
This is great. I hope our lawyers are taking notes on all his stuff for our lawsuit. How can they county claim they don't have the money to pay us when they take on additional spending like this.
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Post by onthejob on Jan 13, 2015 10:51:26 GMT -5
This is great. I hope our lawyers are taking notes on all his stuff for our lawsuit. How can they county claim they don't have the money to pay us when they take on additional spending like this. Hopefully the FEDS are looking into this. The county pissed away $25 million on 5 turf fields right before we were frozen. Obviously the owner of the turf company is a republican donor.
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