The 2001 budget submitted to the Nassau Interim Finance Authority (NIFA) reduces the expected County contribution to the bus system by another $7 million. The NY Times reported that under the long-term plan LI Bus would receive only $5 million in 2002, leaving any funding for 2003 and 2004 unclear. Previous articles suggested that the budget prepared by Gulotta cancels all County contributions in these later years. NIFA plans to review both spending proposals and announce on Dec. 8 whether the Authority finds them sufficient to put the County on the road to resolving its debt crisis.

If NIFA allows the LI Bus line cuts to stand, then in 2001 and 2002 the agency will receive roughly 1/3 and 1/4 of the original amount expected from the County. As the County supplied almost 30% of the LI Bus budget in 1999, in these years the system's operating budget will be about 20% in the red. That means severe service cuts unless a new, sustainable source of operating funds can be secured.

Gulotta's 2000 cuts would have forced LI Bus to cut back overall service by 35% and abandon 23 of its 53 routes. Nassau County's state Senate and Assembly delegation stepped in with $8 million in emergency funds that forestalled the crisis. The state would need to come through with almost double this amount to do the same in 2001.