Nassau Democrats Criticize County Executives Over Park Funding

On Monday, Nassau Democrats convened at Millchell Park, which is somewhat falling apart and really needs repairs. They expressed discontent with county executives for their favoritism regarding a Republican-led project.

The Democrats are pushing for $150,000 to fix the park but allege that Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman is obstructing $9 million in projects. They’ve hinted at withholding critical votes to prevent any fund transfers to the county parks department budget if their demands aren’t met.

In response, Blakeman dismissed their claims as “completely ridiculous.”

He criticized the Democrats, emphasizing that several approvals for projects, such as $1 million allocated for water treatment and $400,000 set aside for the Museum of African American History, had already been made. Other funds include $100,000 for fire trucks and over $350,000 for license plate readers.

While the Democrats acknowledged that Blakeman approved those initiatives, they insisted this should not be considered separate from the capital they require for park rehabilitation, although they implied that any resolution would involve a political struggle.

“They never say anything,” Blakeman remarked, adding, “Thank you for what they need to say.”

Blakeman pointed out that Mirschel Park is operated by Hempstead, not under county jurisdiction.

Additionally, he mentioned that recently, the village of Roosevelt—located within a Democratic district—received a state-of-the-art facility at Eisenhower Park known as the “Dreamcoat,” named after local sports legend Julius “Dr. J” Irving.

However, the Democrats contend that the $9 million in question has already been earmarked in the approved budget, asserting that Blakeman must release those funds.

Democrat Rep. Scott Davis stated outside Millchell Park, “The funding has been backloaded since 2023. There’s no reason other than blatant politics.”

Delia Deridge Whitton, a minority leader in the Democratic Party, added, “We will maintain the transfer until we see the project move.”

In his defense, Blakeman noted that he had allocated significant funding, particularly within the Blue District and the village of Roosevelt. He argued, “They are choosing us because they already have a $150,000 request when they gave the village $3 million. It’s totally a slip-dic.”