Nassau County’s proposed $4.4 billion budget for 2026 includes buyout offers to longtime employees in an effort to “accelerate the number of retirements” and save the county roughly $27 million.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman filed the 452-page document on Sept.15, highlighting increases in funding for public safety and human services. The budget also provides funding for 68 new full-time positions, bringing the total authorized full-time headcount to 7,585 employees.
The financial plan also includes resources for two police cadet classes and two correction officer classes, totaling 260 new hires, which is said to offset “expected attrition through retirements.”
Nassau County hasn’t had a buyout system since 2012, when Ed Mangano was the county executive. Mangano had said he wanted to shed $54 million and use the salaries and benefits of retiring workers to offset the layoffs of about 300 employees, part of the Civil Service Employees Association. It is the largest union in the county, which serves over 250,000 people in total.
Under Mangano’s budget, buyouts paid employees $1,000 for each year that they worked with the county. It is unclear how much the current proposed buyout program will pay employees.
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine did not include a buyout program in his $4.3 billion budget proposal.
Salaries, wages and fringe benefits for county employees equate to 51.8% of all expenses in Blakeman’s 2026 budget proposal. The county employed 7,174 people, as of Sept. 4, making it one of the largest employers in Nassau, according to budget documents.
Blakeman, who is running for re-election as county executive in November, is campaigning on fighting crime and cutting taxes, and his budget proposes to keep Nassau’s tax rate flat for the fourth consecutive year.
“The 2026 budget underscores my administration’s ongoing commitment to responsible governance and prioritizing the safety and well-being of Nassau County residents without burdening them with higher taxes,” Blakeman wrote within the proposed budget.
The Nassau County Legislature will hold budget hearings throughout October before it is expected to adopt the new budget on Oct. 30. The two hearing dates have been set for Oct. 6 and Oct. 16.
The county budget will also need the approval of the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, a state-appointed agency that monitors the county’s finances.
