Mangano, who agrees that more needs to be done to fix the commercial assessment systems, says that the system in place for homes is working. He said when someone successfully grieves their assessment, the tax rolls are fixed right away, eliminating refunds to homeowners.

The county still owes about $350 million in refunds to property owners, which Suozzi says is nearly double what was owed when he left office. Mangano says his plan has added no debt for homeowner refunds.

Nicole Russo, chairman of the Nassau County Young Republicans Club, said the organization is throwing its full support behind Mangano because of his economic policies. Its members have been making phone calls and walking door-to-door, telling people about Mangano’s record on taxes and job creation.

“As young civic leaders, we are concerned about jobs and housing opportunities,” she said. “Ed Mangano has helped create and retain over 19,000 private sector jobs and worked to create 1,000 transit-oriented rental units in downtowns throughout the county.”

Coliseum site

Mangano said he is pleased that there is finally a plan to redevelop the Nassau Coliseum site in the center of the county. He cited the partnership with Forest City Ratner to renovate the Coliseum and create a shopping and entertainment complex around it.

The county, he said, will no longer be on the hook for more than $4 million in maintenance to the building, and will generate new revenue. It will also lead to the creation of new jobs, Mangano says.

Suozzi says that, if elected, he would work with Forest City Ratner but would look to create a more ambitious project. He said the Town of Hempstead would allow about five million square feet of new construction there, and the developer should take full advantage of that.

Since the Coliseum developer will be the same as the owner of the Barclay’s Center, Suozzi said he would like to begin discussions about keeping the Islanders in Nassau County, as they are set to move to Brooklyn in 2015. “The Islanders are going to do better in their base than they are in the city,” he said.

On crime

Mangano said the plan to consolidate police precincts from eight to five has saved money by eliminating administrative costs. He said it has also allowed the Police Department to put 50 more officers on patrol, and create a special force of officers to target areas where there are spikes in crime.