Nassau lawmakers united against Mangano tax hike

The Nassau Legislature had a rare, bipartisan moment of unity Thursday as all 19 lawmakers spoke out against the county executive's proposed budget.
Democrats and Republicans alike vowed to vote against County Executive Ed Mangano's proposal, which includes a controversial 1.2 percent property tax hike.
Last year, the county executive proposed a similar tax increase, and lawmakers passed amendments to the budget to remove it. Mangano vetoed those changes, and the Republican-controlled Legislature failed to override him.
Some legislators called for the dissolution of the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, which they say has too much influence on the budget process.
The authority has warned lawmakers against borrowing to pay for millions of dollars in employee termination costs.
The Legislature will hold another hearing on the budget next Tuesday, and lawmakers will propose amendments to the budget later this month.
A final vote on the 2016 budget is planned before Oct. 30.
All 19 seats of the Nassau County Legislature are up for re-election next month.