Nassau County 2011 Budget Hearings Get Heated
NEW YORK (1010 WINS) - Dueling demonstrations got heated in Mineola on Monday, as county legislators opened hearings into the proposed $2.6 billion county budget for 2011.
Groups gathered, appeared to be affiliated with school districts, to rally against the proposed budget, while others were in favor of the budget.
LISTEN: 1010 WINS' Mona Rivera in Nassau County
Some demonstrators supported county executive Ed Mangano's plan and said it cuts wasteful spending, but educators and teachers from districts like Hicksville denounced the budget for shifting tax assessment costs to them. "In Hicksville alone, we are going to be faced, if this goes through, with a $1.4 to $2 million addition to our school budget," lamented one educator.
Bud drivers and mechanics also pleaded for help to save Long Island Bus. MTA officials have said they can no longer afford to make up for the funding shortfalls of Nassau County, which contributes only $9.1 million to the Bus' $133 million annual budget.
