Mangano's Plans for Nassau County

Former Nassau legislator turned county executive Ed Mangano is ready to get down to business. The long time Bethpage resident officially took office Jan. 1 at his hometown high school. 

Mangano narrowly beat out his Democratic opponent Tom Suozzi for the county's top spot. The November race was a heated one, growing even more intense when close results demanded a recount. Mangano edged out Suozzi by 386 votes.

Mangano's platform aims to rid Nassau of wasteful spending, freeze and fix what he calls a broken tax assessment system, create jobs and opportunities and repeal the home energy tax, which he did moments after he took office Jan. 1.

By doing away with appointed positions within the county executive's office, Mangano intends to eliminate the "ill-conceived" policy of hiring non-residents for highly paid positions and instead hire those who are "subject to their own fees and taxes."

Mangano's ambitious plan to remedy the county's tax assessment system entails freezing all property tax assessments and setting it to offer residents the benefit of their correction. He plans to fix the system during reassessment off years.

Mangano vows to create local jobs in two ways: by creating a business-friendly environment for the county's small businesses and by eliminating "divisionary tactics" that hold up revitalization projects like Charles Wang's Lighthouse proposal. Mangano believes the Lighthouse project "easily represents the largest and most promising enterprise on Long Island."

He also intends to stop hiring out-of-state contractors and start up an Office of Local Opportunity to create more competitive bidding between local companies.

The 2.5 percent home energy tax the county legislature approved last February and implemented in June 2008 was imposed on all residential energy sources – LIPA electric, oil, natural gas, steam services and even coal, propane and firewood.

At a Dec. 21 meeting, the 19-member legislature voted 13-5 in favor of its elimination; Mangano, who represented the 17th legislative district, was not present for the meeting and therefore did not vote. He did, however, vote against it when it was first proposed.

Proponents of the tax believe that some $18 million was generated between June and December 2008 and anticipate that the energy tax would have generated nearly $40 million in 2010 alone for Nassau County. Mangano has called the tax the "worst kind of regressive tax."

At his Jan. 1 inauguration, an overflowing crowd of supporters forced the ceremony to be simulcast in adjoining rooms at Bethpage High School. Politicians on both sides of the aisle praised his commitment to making Nassau County better.

Once life long Garden City resident and newly re-elected Supreme Court Justice Stephen Bucaria administered Mangano's oath of office, the crowd began chanting "Eddie."

The newly installed county executive thanked his supporters: "This is very cool and quite an honor," he said. "During my campaign, I promised when elected that one day one I would repeal the home energy tax. The document I just signed makes good on my promise and that on my Republican colleagues. The home energy tax is hereby repealed."

Mangano has met with Suozzi and his team to ensure a smooth transition.

Residents consistently re-elected Mangano to represent them in the 17th legislative district, which includes Bethpage, Hicksville, Island Trees, Levittown, North Massapequa, Plainedge, South Farmingdale and Syosset. He served on numerous legislative committees while in office, including Procedures, Public Works (ranking member); Economic and Community Development; Labor; Recreation and Parks, and Rules.

Magano is a graduate of Bethpage High School, Hofstra University and Hofstra Law School. He and his wife, Linda, along with their two sons, Alex and Sal, reside in the town where he was raised.