The Nassau Interim Finance Authority, the county's fiscal watchdog, has approved the county's amended budget.

The budget passed on a 4-1 vote. Board member Howard Weitzman was the lone vote against approval.

NIFA voted down Nassau's budget late last month, saying the $3 billion spending plan was not balanced. NIFA then directed the county to find $36 million in cuts and/or revenue to fill the gap.

On Wednesday, Nassau lawmakers voted to increase the tax map verification fee for real estate transactions from $225 to $355 in an effort to plug the county's budget gap. The measure passed in an 11-7 vote.

Officials say the fee increase will not affect any home closings taking place in 2016.

Lawmakers say they expect the tax map fee increase to bring in $15 million. They say the rest would be made up from about a dozen other sources of revenue and some cuts, such as nearly $4 million out of the NICE Bus budget.