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Overcast School districts plan rally against Mangano tax plan
To help close the more than $300 million budget deficit that Nassau now faces, County Executive Ed Mangano’s recently proposed budget includes a proposal to end the county’s “guarantee” that it will pay refunds owed when homeowners successfully challenge their tax assessments.
Instead, Mangano is proposing that local school districts and towns pay out the refunds to property owners, effectively shifting that burden from the county to the local level. That has local school officials up in arms. They say placing this new responsibility on districts could result in higher local property taxes and staff cuts.
PTAs have gotten involved and are planning to take part in a rally against the Mangano plan in front of the County Executive’s Building in Mineola on Monday, Oct. 18, at 10 a.m.
According to a county spokesperson, if business or homeowners believe that the county has assessed their taxes incorrectly, they have the right to file a tax grievance, which is then reviewed by a special commission. Property taxes are reduced and refunds potentially issued if the grievance, known as a tax certiorari, is won.
“Simply put, County Executive Mangano’s reform requires schools and towns that receive tax dollars in error to pay back those dollars,” read a statement released by Nassau County.
According to the county spokesperson, the debt and outstanding liability associated with the county guarantee totals $1.6 billion, costing taxpayers $250 million annually in refunds and interest charges.
“Facing a whopping $343 million deficit in 2011,” said a Nassau County statement, “County Executive Mangano is committed to ending this illogical, unfair and inequitable practice that has contributed to our deficit.”
Nassau County Legislator Dave Denenberg, a Democrat from Merrick, has criticized Mangano’s proposal to do away with the county guarantee.
"It's a practice that has gone on for over 60 years, and it's under state law,” said Denenberg. “It's unclear to me that the county can unilaterally change it.”
