Nassau Notebook: Controversy Over Proposed Youth Board Cuts, Schmitt Hospitalized

The following is a look back at some of the top stories in Nassau County over the past week:

Rally Against Proposed Youth Board Cuts

On Monday, Nassau County Democratic leaders, joined by nearly 100 supporters, protested the county executive's proposed cuts to the Nassau County Youth Board, claiming most of the reductions were made in Democratic lawmakers' districts.

"The county executive has decided to parse young people based off of blue or red," said Legis. Kevan Abrahams, D-Hempstead, the legislature's deputy minority leader.

According to Democrats, just over 83 percent ($1.35M) of the proposed cuts are slated for their districts, while those in Republican districts ($159,988.45) amount to a little under 10 percent.

But County Executive Ed Mangano said that the Democrats do not have an accurate list of proposed cuts, maintaining that a completed list will not be available until April 16. Furthermore, the county executive said he is looking to the state to enact a red-light camera bill, which would bring in revenue to help restore "most, if not all" funding to the youth board contracts.

Mangano said Abrahams and the Democrats should support Republicans' plans to bring in the needed revenue to restore funding. "Instead of taking the time to support state legislation that would restore funding in its entirety, [Abrahams] has decided to play politics," he said. "If Kevan and the rest of the Democratic caucus of the Nassau County Legislature spent half as much time working with me as they do against me, we would not be standing here today making difficult decisions to cut funding to community programs that our residents utilize."

According to Democrats, the proposed cuts (in their districts) include:

• A $12,500 cut to the Community Parent Center (located in Bellmore and Merrick).
• A $1,000 cut to the Community Wellness Council (located in Bellmore and Merrick).
• A $47,701.95 cut to the Long Island Crisis Center (located in Bellmore, serves the whole county).
• A $68,546 cut to the Family and Children's Walkabout (serves the whole county).
• A $21,523 cut to the Family and Children's Youth Adult Participation Program (serves the whole county).
• A $4,504.30 cut to the Hispanic Brotherhood of Rockville Centre.
• A $3,509.65 cut to the Long Island Advocacy Center (located in New Hyde Park, serves the whole county).
• A $43,079 cut to the City of Glen Cove Youth Bureau.

Cuts in Republican districts include:

• A $10,481.50 cut to the Long Beach Martin Luther King Center.
• A $14,924.80 cut to the Long Beach REACH Combined.
• A $2,965.70 cut to the Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence (serves the whole county).
• A $1,625 cut to the Tempo Youth Services (located in Woodmere).
• A $13,275.40 cut to the YES Community Counseling Center (located in Massapequa and other communities).
• A $13,450 cut to the Advisory Council (located in Mineola and New Hyde Park).
• A $2,300 cut to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island (located in Levittown, serves the whole county).
• An $8,740.50 cut to the Circulo de la Hispanidad (located in Long Beach).
• A $46,288.50 cut to the Family and Children's Parents and Children Together (located in West Hempstead and Long Beach).
• A $20,191.05 cut to the Five Towns Community Center (located in Inwood and Lawrence).

Peter Schmitt Hospitalized

Nassau Legislative Majority Leader Peter Schmitt, R-Massapequa, was hospitalized Monday after encountering breathing problems.

Schmitt, 60, began experiencing shortness of breath at around 1 p.m. Monday and was taken to Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, said his press secretary, Cristina Brennan.

Schmitt was released from the hospital on Friday.

"Peter is doing very well," Brennan said. "He was released from the hospital earlier today and is ready to come back to work."

Schmitt has served eight consecutive terms on the county Legislature. He was first elected in 1995.