Nassau County and the CSEA are in the homestretch of reaching a deal to close the county?s $130 million budget gap.

Without an agreement, social services would get cut, parks would close and nearly 1,000 county employees, including police and correctional officers, would lose their jobs. County executive Tom Suozzi had proposed employees take a 7 percent pay cut to avoid the layoffs.

Not many details are available from the closed door meetings between union and county officials. CSEA President Jerry Laricchuita is hopeful that a compromise can be reached, though.

?We are trying to see if we can come up with something that serves two purposes, protect the union members and also do their share to help Nassau out of this crisis."