Nassau Notebook, Part II: 98 Police Officers Retire, Sheriff’s Suit Dismissed

Police Retirements Save County $23.2 Million

Earlier this week it was announced that 98 Nassau County police officers had accepted a voluntary incentive to retire before the March 22 deadline, saving the county more than $23 million in annual labor costs, Newsday [paid link] reports.

The incentive was a part of County Executive Ed Mangano's plan to realign the eight police precincts in Nassau. The plan was approved on March 6.

According to Maurice Chalmers, director of the Office of Legislative Budget Review (OLBR), the incentive was aimed at "supervisory personnel" and was originally taargeting saving the county $19.2 million in "recurring salary and fringe benefits annually."

The OLBR told Newsday that the police retirements will save Nassau $18.5 million annually. However, Deputy County Executive Rob Walker said the OLBR's figure does not include some payroll extras and should be closer to $23.2 million.

The county will borrow $26 million and use $10 million from its police reserve fund to pay for the police incentive, Walker said. Funds for the CSEA incentive are available from previous borrowing, Walker said. Nassau first offered the incentive to CSEA employees last December and 111 members took the deal.

Supreme Court Dismisses Sheriff’s Officers Association's Suit

Earlier this week Nassau County announced that the New York State Supreme Court dismissed the case from the Sheriff’s Officers Association (ShOA) in which they sought to rescind the demotion of 30 correction corporals to correction officers.

The ShOA filed the suit back on Jan. 30, Arguing that County Executive Mangano missed a Dec. 29 deadline to reduce their rank to correction officer.

According to the county, upon the recommendation of Mangano, the Nassau County Legislature abolished a number of correction corporal positions, to take effect on Dec. 29, 2011 unless stayed by Mangano.

The county executive did stay the subject eliminations of job titles until Jan. 12, 2012. On Jan. 12, after the stay was lifted, the demotions were effectuated.

According to the county, the union claimed that because the demotions were not done immediately they could not be done at all. The court rejected that argument, holding that "the legislation was self-executing in effect and that the job titles were nevertheless deemed substantively abolished, unless otherwise stated by applicable executive order."

Mangano announced Wednesday that Nassau County will host the Games for the Physically Challenged for the second consecutive year. According to the county, with the support of private-sector donations, Mangano saved the games in 2011 after learning that New York State had eliminated the funding for the Empire State Games for the Physically Challenged.

The 2012 Nassau County Empire State Games for the Physically Challenged will take place from May 31 through June 2 at Mitchel Athletic Complex and Nassau Community College.

State Sales Tax Repealed on Clothing and Footwear Less Than $110

New York repealed the 4 percent state sales tax as of Sunday on clothing, footwear and similar items costing less than $110 each.

Click here to read the full story on the sales tax.

County Opens Driving Ranges

Nassau County announced earlier this week that its three driving ranges are now open to the public year round. The three ranges include Eisenhower Park, Cantiague Park and North Woodmere Park.