Nassau County Executive /*Edward Mangano*/ signed off on a county legislature bill authorizing the mid-summer vote. Approval would clear the way for the /*New York Islanders*/ to remain on /*Long Island*/ until 2045.
The NHL team's current lease expires after the 2015 season.
Some county legislators and others have questioned the wisdom of putting $400 million up for bonds at a time when the county is facing a deficit of $176 million. Mangano counters that replacing the nearly 40-year-old arena will help reinvigorate the local economy.
Union leaders and others have expressed support for the project, saying it would provide jobs in the hard-hit construction industry.
