Curran takes oath of office as Nassau's first female county executive

Laura Curran took the oath of office Monday, making her the first female county executive in Nassau County's history. 
In her inauguration speech, Curran, a Democrat, said she wants to restore the public's trust in county leadership.
"To those who would try to cling to yesterday, who would rather see government work for the political class and not our residents, I have a message for you – those days are over," she said.
In one of her first acts as county executive, Curran said she will prohibit members of her administration from holding leadership positions in political parties and keep her staff from donating to her fundraising campaign.
The county Legislature is still controlled by Republicans, which means she could have a tough battle when it comes to her agenda. Curran is expected to address the major tax overhaul that adversely affects many Nassau homeowners by capping state and local deductions at $10,000.
She will also have to dive head-first into a troubled budget. The Nassau Interim Finance Authority (NIFA), a state control board, is demanding deep budget cuts
"The state control board has said you need to cut some more expenses or find some more revenues and we're giving you until March to get it done," said Joye Brown, a colunmnist at Newsday. 
Brown says Curran has to be prepared to handle all that is about to come her way. She says Curran's experience as a legislator couldn't fully prepare her for an executive position. 
"As a legislator, you get to govern as a part of a group. You can sit back, you can step forward, you can go with the majority," says Brown. "When you're in charge, all of that goes away."
Curran is still assembling her team to tackle what is sure to be a busy first term.