Serving Port Washington
$1
Friday, September 22, 2017
Vol. 2, No. 38
Port WashingtonTimes CAREERS & EDUCATION
COUNTY BUDGET CALLS MANORHAVEN SEEKS TO REDUCE ILLEGAL TENANTS FOR TAX, FEE HIKES
PAGES 31-42
PAGE 2
PAGE 6
r 22, 2017 ction • septembe ations special se ia / litmor public a blank slate med
No sanctions from ethics board in 4 years
TA L K I N G P O L I T I C S
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 conflicts 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 at the University of North Carolina’s School of Government. Mangano did not respond to questions for him emailed to a county Continued on Page 56
PHOTO BY LUKE TORRANCE
U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) shakes hands with Assemblyman Tony D’Urso Tuesday at Suozzi’s town hall in Port Washington. See story on page 3.
Port football fortunes experience a turnaround coming game. There had already been a parade and carnival, and local Last weekend, on a pleas- families from across the penant September Saturday, Port insula had gathered at Paul Washington took the field for D. Schreiber High School to the annual Pride in Port home- watch.
BY LU K E TORRANCE
But the players did not wear helmets or shoulder pads. There were no touchdowns or big hits. There was no football at all, because the homecoming football game had been Continued on Page 57
For the latest news visit us at www.theislandnow.com D on’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Theislandnow and Facebook at facebook.com/theislandnow