Fifth L.D.

Scannell challenged in the 5th
Rockville Centre attorney hopes to oust Democratic legislator

By Anthony Rifilato
      A Rockville Centre attorney will challenge Nassau County Legislator Joe Scannell (D-Baldwin) in the race to represent the 5th District, one that could tip the balance away from the county Legislature's current 10-9 Democratic majority.
      Chris Browne, 31, has opened campaign headquarters in Rockville Centre and was recently endorsed by state Senate Deputy Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre). Skelos is one of many Republicans in Nassau touting Browne as a young candidate who would bring fresh ideas to the Legislature.
      "Part of the reason I'm running is that we need new leadership, and the Legislature has been dysfunctional," Browne said in a phone interview with the Herald. "I do think that the county is ready for a change from the dysfunctional food fight that goes on between politicians."
      Scannell, a Baldwin attorney who was first elected to the Legislature in 1999, said he is confident voters will re-elect him. As a member of the slim Democratic majority, Scannell said, he played a vital role in helping to turn the county's finances around after the former county executive, Republican Tom Gulotta, led the county into financial doldrums. Scannell described himself as a "strong, independent voice for my district."
      With the elections only a month away, both candidates are in campaign mode. They recently squared off in a debate on News 12 that was scheduled to air on Wednesday, discussing issues ranging from tax reassessments and consolidation to maintaining open space in the county and quality-of-life concerns.
      "I thought the debates were good on all counts," Scannell said of the chance to face his challenger. "My main point was that we had great success in restoring financial stability to the county."
      Browne, a former assistant district attorney in Manhattan and a onetime aide to former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, railed against Scannell, saying that he has not done enough to hold the line on taxes or spending. "I think his talking points are five years old," Browne said. "Obviously the county was in terrible shape at the end of the Gulotta administration, and when the Democrats came in, they did what they had to do. But I don't think it was Suozzi magic," he said, referring to current County Executive Tom Suozzi. "[Suozzi] raised taxes, and the state bailed out the county."
      If elected, Browne said, he would push to reform and freeze annual reassessments for five years, adding that assessments are a major issue in the county, wreaking havoc on homeowners and driving people out of the area.
      "Scannell said he thinks the assessment system is fine," Browne said. "I think Scannell has a different view on how critical the situation is. We should freeze [assessments] to give people a break, and restore credibility to the system during that freeze."
      Scannell, a former Nassau County assistant district attorney, said that the previous assessment formula, based on 1938 property values, was "broken" and "unfair," and that it cost taxpayers millions. He said he regularly holds tax grievance workshops, and that freezing assessments is not the way to go.
      "Without a doubt, the system isn't 100 percent perfect," Scannell said. "Definitely, there are some problems, and that's why we need to continue to have tax grievances. If you freeze it, it will just bring us back to the Gulotta years."
      Browne said he believes Scannell has "coasted" as a legislator, saying that he has not done enough for the 5th District, which encompasses Rockville Centre, South Hempstead, Baldwin and Freeport. Browne said that Scannell has toed the Democratic line, supporting Suozzi's $2.5 billion budget, which, Browne claimed, includes out-of-control spending that will lead to "significant deficits."
      "[Suozzi's] budget says we can spend more and have no tax increase," Browne said. "I think that's election-year rhetoric. I think Scannell has coasted, and relied on the fact that Gulotta put the county into a fiscal crisis. Suozzi came in and helped pull it out of bankruptcy. Fine, but that was a decade ago, and underlying problems remain."
      Scannell said that the new budget would provide relief for taxpayers, since it includes no tax increase. "I'm most proud of the fact that we'll be passing a fifth successive no-tax-increase budget," he said. "Because of five fiscally conservative budgets, we've produced 11 bond rating upgrades."
      And while he is part of the majority, Scannell said, he has been "independent," and there have been times when he has disagreed with Suozzi - mainly when the county executive proposed moving the 1st Police Precinct out of Baldwin and a plan to move Nunley's Carousel to Oyster Bay. Scannell also cited millions of dollars he has secured for pond refurbishment and beautification projects.
      "I've worked very hard for my district," Scannell said, adding that the county's 2008 capital plan includes $4 million for a new precinct, which he said would remain in Baldwin. "When the county wanted to move the precinct out of the district, I stopped it."
      Browne has harshly criticized Scannell's use of $420,000 in discretionary funds to help restore the carousel, which will now be the centerpiece of an expansion on Museum Row. "I think the carousel has become his sole issue," Browne said. "I think that spending $420,000 was a total misuse of money. He made promises that it would come back to Baldwin and he never came through."
      Scannell said he is happy that all county residents will be able to enjoy the carousel when it comes to Museum Row next year. "I'm sure thousands of my constituents will be enjoying the carousel for generations to come," he said.
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