Dems block fiscal impact resolution

Cite DeSena giving responsibility to town finance director rather than comptroller

BY CAMERYN OAKES

The North Hempstead Town Board rejected a resolution that would require fscal impact statements for board resolutions after half of the present council abstained due to dissatisfaction with the resolution as presented.

The fscal impact statements would have provided details regarding the costs of certain resolutions addressed by the town council prior to being passed.

Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena presented the resolution to provide “the town board and the taxpayers a better idea of how the town is spending taxpayer money,” she said during the meeting.

“Requiring a preparation of fscal impact statements before action is taken by the town board is a proactive step to protect taxpayer dollars and help illustrate the fscal implications of the items that come before the town board before we decide to act on them,” DeSena said.

The fscal impact statements would have been prepared by the director of fnance, a position within the supervisor’s ofce that is appointed by the supervisor. This was the main con- cerns of many of the board members who voted to abstain.

Councilwoman Veronica Lurvey said that while transparency and fscal responsibility is a high priority of all board members, she was concerned with granting the responsibility to the director of fnance.

“This draft does the opposite of what the supervisor claims she wants to accomplish,” Lurvey said. “It shifts the responsibility from the town’s comptroller, which the entire town approves and the entire town board unanimously voted for to the supervisor’s hand-picked fnance director. It is the opposite of transparency.”

Town Councilman Robert Troiano said DeSena is seeking to be the “ultimate arbiter” of projects and the determining of their costs and should not be a responsibility of her ofce.

Troiano suggested that the fscal impact statements be the responsibility of the town comptroller, who he said works for the entire town council whereas the director of fnance only reports to the supervisor.

DeSena defended giving responsibility to the director of fnance. She said the director of fnance is responsible for fscal impact statements in other towns.

She noted that the director of fnance served as the town’s comptroller for nine months.

“To now say he is not an appropriate person to do this job is really ridiculous,” DeSena said.

While he said the legislation is faulty, Troiano voted to abstain on the matters as he is overall not against the concept of fscal impact statements.

Tow of the board’s other Democrats — Lurvey and Town Councilwoman Mariann Dalimonte — also voted to abstain on the resolution, effectively blocking the vote. Democrat Councilman Peter Zuckerman was not present for the vote.

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