Dear Neighbor: 

As the leader of Nassau County’s Democratic Legislative delegation, I am so proud to lead a team that stands together to fight for our constituents and work as one in the pursuit of good government.

Prior to April 23, the administration of County Executive Bruce Blakeman had been blocking over $1.3 million in grant funding for first responders in Democratic districts. Meanwhile, he approved 34 projects, totaling $2.5 million, for Republican-backed projects - just like the ones we have proposed. You read that correctly - 34 to nothing.

The political bias was blatant, and we as a caucus made a decision to confront the County Executive and demand that he fund our first responders. We achieved this by leveraging our vote for the capital plan - which requires a 13-member supermajority. A month later, after drawing our line in the sand, we secured those grants and passed the Fiscal Year 2025 capital plan, which delivers vital infrastructure investments across our County.

This was a major victory, but the work of holding this administration accountable continues. My colleagues on the Public Safety committee are persisting in their legal demand for the dissolution of the County Executive’s reckless and unlawful armed militia - and long-overdue transparency and clarity as to how we got here in the first place.

We are also keenly focused on combating the opioid drug crisis and pushing the County Executive to end his years of delays in the release of opioid lawsuit settlement funds to agencies that are providing key prevention, treatment and recovery resources. Responding to the administration’s dismal performance thus far - of nearly $100 million received, just $5.3 million has been spent - the Legislature approved hiring an outside firm to administer a grant portal that will aid in delivering these life-saving resources more expeditiously. It is imperative that we turn this program around and get this money doing what it should have been doing all along - helping people on the road to long-term, sustainable recovery from addiction and substance abuse.

In these challenging times for the world and our nation, I frequently look for the good and draw inspiration from people who are making a difference - and I won’t stop fighting to make Nassau County a better place for all of us.

Sincerely,
Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, Minority Leader
Nassau County Legislature, District 11

Delia is thrilled to report that $10,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant money has been secured for the Glen Cove Business Improvement District’s annual Downtown Sounds concert series!

These resources will build upon the $7,500 Delia previously delivered from the County’s Hotel-Motel Occupancy Tax Fund grant last fall in support of the beloved community tradition, which began as Jazz in the Square in 1997 and grown since then to become a major regional attraction in downtown Glen Cove.

Democratic lawmakers on the Legislature’s Public Safety committee - led by Legislator Scott Davis and Alternate Deputy Minority Leader Debra Mulé - sued County Executive Blakeman in February to challenge his creation of an illegal taxpayer-funded armed civilian militia. Represented by Kelner & Kelner, Esqs. and the Free and Fair Litigation Group, the suit is seeking to block the Blakeman administration from deputizing private citizens as “special sheriff’s deputies” and using public funds for a program that lacks transparency, oversight, and legal authority.

Specifically, the suit alleges that County Executive Blakeman cannot create an armed civilian force under New York County Law §655 and accuses Blakeman of violating the Freedom of Information Law by ignoring formal requests by Democratic legislators for basic information about the controversial program.

View news conference clip (2:34)

On April 23, the Nassau County Legislature voted to authorize borrowing for the Fiscal Year 2025 capital infrastructure plan - marking a major victory for the members of the Legislature’s Democratic Minority Caucus.

In doing so, Minority Leader DeRiggi-Whitton successfully led the Democratic caucus in leveraging bond authorization – which requires a 13-vote supermajority to pass - to break County Executive Blakeman’s more than yearlong freeze on $1.3 million in grants for 14 first responder agencies for districts represented by Democratic legislators.

The following key public safety resources were delivered for District 11:

Port Washington Fire Department - $190,000
$100,000 for new firefighting gear and $90,000 for a breathing air compressor

Glen Cove FD & EMS - $110,237
$73,127 for turnout gear for the Glen Cove Fire Department and $37,400 for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) devices for City of Glen Cove EMS

Sands Point Police Department - $100,000
$30,000 for a license plate reader/radar unit and $70,000 in upgrades to the Department’s phone system

Glenwood Fire Department - $24,903
New computers for the department’s ambulances

Sea Cliff Fire Department - $13,000
Personal protective equipment (PPE) washer and dryer for the Department’s medical unit

Delia and New York State are partnering to host an emergency preparedness workshop at the Sea Cliff Fire Department at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 31.

Participants will learn how to create a family plan for any type of natural or man-made disaster, respond accordingly, and recover as quickly as possible to pre-disaster conditions. Each family participating will receive a free Citizen Preparedness Corps Response Starter Kit filled with essentials. RSVPs are required and these workshops fill fast - scan the QR code or visit www.prepare.ny.gov to register today!

More than 150 people packed Bayville’s Crescent Beach Club on April 9 for the 19th annual “Cooking for a Cure” – an event which raised over $65,000 for the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation.

The night’s honoree was Sea Cliff Village Administrator Bruce Kennedy – a longtime supporter of diabetes advocacy who was thrust further into the cause when his son, Alex, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes on Feb. 8, 2023.

On With The Show! $100K for Port’s Landmark on Main Street

Delia supported a $100,000 ARPA grant for the Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Port Washington’s Landmark on Main Street. The funds support HVAC and bathroom renovations as part of $750,000 in improvements.

“Plant A Row” To Feed The Hungry!

The team from Plant a Row for the Hungry recently visited the Legislature to complete paperwork for the first half of a $50,000 ARPA grant Delia secured for them last winter. 

Since its launch, Plant A Row has delivered more than 325,000 servings of fresh produce to food pantries. We can’t wait to see what they’ll be able to reap from this investment in the fight to end food insecurity in our region.

Visit https://plantarowforthehungry.org/ to get involved in the 2025 season!

Join us at an upcoming Homeowner Exemption Liaison Program (H.E.L.P.) seminar for individualized assistance from Department of Assessment staff! Whether you’re filing for the first time or renewing, it’s an easy and convenient way to submit your application.

Wednesday, 9/24 - SEA CLIFF VILLAGE HALL - 300 Sea Cliff Avenue, Sea Cliff 11579
Wednesday, 10/22 - PORT WASH. LIBRARY - 1 Library Drive, Port Washington 11050

All workshops noon - 2 p.m. - please arrive no later than 1:30 p.m.