Nassau Democrats block vote on borrowing until grant money released

The Democrats are refusing to vote for more county borrowing, unless Blakeman releases millions in already approved grant funds for their districts.

Kevin Vesey

Jul 24, 2024, 9:17 PM

Updated 44 days ago

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Nassau Democrats are turning up the heat on Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman.
The Democrats are refusing to vote for more county borrowing, unless Blakeman releases millions in already approved grant funds for their districts.
The Democrats say the money has been withheld from their districts, while Republican-majority districts have received millions.
High-priority projects include treatment of Hempstead’s drinking water to remove 1,4 dioxane and new equipment for fire departments in Baldwin and Port Washington.
County Executive Bruce Blakeman released the following statement:
“During my administration, minority members of the Legislature received over $2 million for community projects in their districts. Previously, the Democrat members of the Legislature tried to hijack the capital budget, withholding funds for a variety of infrastructure projects and public safety projects, including police body armor. If the Democrats are serious about moving projects forward, they must immediately pass the capital projects budget and complete their due diligence and paperwork on project requests that to date have been incomplete and lacking important details. I stand ready to work with either side of the aisle.”