Jack Schnirman Says He Won't Run Again For County Comptroller

NASSAU COUNTY, NY — On Thursday, Nassau County Comptroller Jack Schnirman announced he won't seek reelection in November, ending his tenure after only one term.

Schnirman was elected comptroller in November 2017, leaving his position as Long Beach City Manager. A few months later, it was revealed that during his tenure as city manager, he oversaw retirement payouts to employees that they were not entitled to under the city charter. Over years, the city overpaid hundreds of thousands of dollars in separation payments, including $52,780 to Schnirman when he stepped down from his post in January 2018. Schnirman repaid the money.

Schnirman made his announcement in a post on Facebook, which made no mention of the scandal in Long Beach.

"In looking ahead toward November, I had to make a choice, and ultimately it was a clear one: I will stay focused on the work that I enjoy and that our county needs to meet this moment and leave the politics to others," he wrote. "Our office will continue to be a source of facts, calling balls and strikes, with no distractions of the politics sure to heat up as the year rolls on."

According to an investigation of the payouts by the Nassau County District Attorney's office, Schnirman was paid for all of his 878 accrued sick days, as well as 52.4 days of vacation time, when he left to become comptroller, despite only being entitled to be paid for 50 days total. Audits found that $52,780 of Schnirman's $108,022 payout was improper. An audit by the state comptroller found nearly $750,000 in questionable payments were made to employees over the years.

Last July, the City of Long Beach filed a lawsuit against Schnirman for $1.5 million over the payout scandal. The city claims that Schnirman and former Corporation Counsel Robert Agostisi perpetuated fraud with the separation payments. The city claims that Schnirman knew the payouts were illegal, or that he should have as city manager.

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran is also up for election this year, running for her second term. A fellow Democrat, Schnirman running could have put her own candidacy at risk.

Despite dropping out of the comptroller race, Schnirman did not rule out a return to politics in the future.

"There are many ways to serve and help move our communities forward, and I will not be shy about stepping up and continuing to do so," he wrote.