Serving Manhasset
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Friday, September 22, 2017
Vol. 5, No. 38
CAREERS & EDUCATION
VILLAGES SEEK TO SHARE ARBORIST
COUNTY BUDGET CALLS FOR TAX, FEE HIKES
PAGES 31-42
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r 22, 2017 ction • septembe ations special se ia / litmor public a blank slate med
No sanctions from ethics board in 4 years
F IGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS
County body has two vacant seats; new law aims to increase activity BY N O A H M A N S K A R Since January 2013, three Nassau County legislators have reported to prison, County Executive Edward Mangano has been indicted, and his chief deputy, Rob Walker, has admitted on the stand in another corruption trial that he is under federal investigation. In the same time, the Nassau County Board of Ethics, a recent object of reform efforts by Democrats and Republicans, has issued no sanctions for violations of the county ethics code. In response to Blank Slate Media’s Freedom of Information request seeking all decisions in ethics cases from Jan. 1, 2013, to July 10 of this year, the board said any complaints received during that period “did not result in any final decision where the board found that a violation had occurred” and imposed a penalty. The ethics board is tasked with enforcing the county’s ethics code, which aims to protect against con-
flicts of interest, bribery, nepotism and other abuses by public officials and employees. It can impose fines of up to $10,000. The code gives the board five members: the county attorney and four other people appointed by the county executive to five-year terms. All but the county attorney are unpaid. But the board has been at less than full strength for more than four years. Mangano never appointed a replacement for Stephen Turman after his resignation in May 2013. And Albert D’Agostino, whom Mangano appointed to the board that year, resigned on May 7 of this year, he said in an interview. “In general terms, it suggests it’s the kind of ethics commission the elected officials want — one that is not causing trouble and examining their behavior and potentially sanctioning them,” said James Svara, the author of several articles on government ethics and a visiting professor Continued on Page 56
PHOTO BY AMELIA CAMURATI
Manhasset resident and Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas spoke on a law enforcement panel at LIU Post on Sept. 13 about local trends in anti-Semitism. See story on page 4.
Civics ask campaigns to follow roadside sign rules placement of roadside political campaign signs, an issue that arises every campaign season. Richard Bentley, presiThe coalition of Manhasset civic groups Wednesday night dent of the Council of Greater approved a set of “common Manhasset Civic Associations, sense guidelines” to restrict the said the placement of numer-
BY S A M U E L GLASSER
ous campaign signs at highvolume traffic intersections is a dangerous distraction to drivers, particularly when dozens of signs are clustered together. “We are not talking about Continued on Page 71
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