By Nick Buglione
Legislation looking to end Nassau's deal to reimburse the school district for enrolling the 45 children now living on hospital grounds -- which is considered non-taxable, county property -- passed through three committees of the county Legislature on Oct. 7 and will go to a full vote of the 19-member Legislature on Oct. 21.
If the measure passes and County Executive Thomas Suozzi signs it into law, East Meadow taxpayers will most likely have to foot the bill themselves.
"This is basically them saying to East Meadow, 'We're going to stiff you,'" said Leon Campo, East Meadow School District assistant superintendent for finance and administration. "I cannot believe anything like this can pass through the Legislature."
In 1995, the county began making annual payments to the district on behalf of the untaxed employees residing at the Nassau University Medical Center, whose children attend East Meadow schools. Four years later, additional legislation passed, ensuring that the county would pay no less than $318,000 a year.
Now, certain legislators claim that, since the financially-strapped county no longer owns the NUMC, they should not have to make the payments anymore. Repeated calls to county Legis. Roger Corbin (D-Westbury), who introduced the legislation, and its supporters were not returned at press time. Corbin offered only a brief statement through the Legislature's press office.
"While Nassau County struggles with a fiscal crisis, it's crucial that we do not incur any expenses that are no longer our responsibility," he said.
According to Campo, however, when the county turned over control of the medical center to the public benefit Nassau Health Care Corporation in 1999, Nassau officials agreed to continue reimbursing the district for educating the employees' children.
"At that time they made a formal contract, they made a decision on who would be [responsible]," Campo said. "Now, a bill was put forth to rescind the entire program."
He also noted that the $318,000 doesn't even fully cover the cost to educate the 45 children attending school in East Meadow, which totals more than $400,000, and that the county has yet to pay the district the money owed for last year.
"We usually get this payment around June, and we still have not received it last year's services," Campo said. "But I have been assured by the powers that be that we will be paid for last year regardless. If we don't get that money, that's purely a legal matter."
Nassau County Legis. Norma Gonsalves (R-East Meadow) is particularly furious over this legislation. In 1974, then an East Meadow school teacher and president of the PTA Council, she headed the fight to instate the reimbursement payments.
"We started fighting for this in 1974, and we won in 1995," Gonsalves said. "It was only fair that we be reimbursed. This time, the East Meadow School District is not going to roll over. There will be sufficient outcry, and that outcry will continue in the future."
Meanwhile, Nassau County Legis. Dennis Dunne (R-Levittown), who represents part of the school district, unsuccessfully tried to get the Legislature's Rules Committee to table the bill so more information could be obtained before a vote.
"When we sold the hospital to the public benefit corporation, we agreed to pay East Meadow the $318,000 to make up for the taxes they'd be losing," he said. "It's not fair what they're doing. I was upset."
Pitting Democrats versus Republicans, the bill narrowly passed through three committees -- Health and Social Services, Finance and Rules -- with the legislators sticking strictly to party lines during each vote.
Separate legislation was introduced for Nassau to begin paying the Long Beach School District money in lieu of taxes for a county park that's being built in the Lido Beach/Point Lookout area.
"How could you possibly introduce legislation to provide payment to Long Beach on one hand and take it away from another school district on the other hand," Gonsalves said. "The rug has been pulled out from under the East Meadow School District."
At press time, it was not known how much money the county would pay the Long Beach School District if that bill passed.
For years, local civic leaders have complained that East Meadow residents bear an unfair tax burden since one quarter of their neighborhood is considered non-taxable county land -- aside from the hospital, the Nassau County Jail, Eisenhower Park and other municipal properties are located there.
"This legislation is now placing an undue burden on the East Meadow taxpayer for a situation that the county created by having 25 percent of the land in East Meadow non-taxable," said Richard Bivone, vice president of the Council of East Meadow Community Organizations.
Though there has been some speculation that perhaps the NUMC should be responsible for reimbursing East Meadow schools in the future, nothing in the legislation's wording would require the hospital to pick up the tab should it pass.
"If the hospital could take on this burden, they would have negotiated that from the beginning," Campo said.
Instead, the cost would be taken on by the school district, forcing them to dip further into their already limited reserves and call for a raise in property taxes, he added.
"This would drive East Meadow's tax rate to unacceptable levels," Campo said. "I can say that the taxpayers of East Meadow will not accept their taxes to go up."
The entire Nassau County Legislature will vote on the bill on Monday, Oct. 21 at 4 p.m. on the fifth floor of the Legislative Chamber, 1 West St., Mineola. Before the vote, community members are invited to address the Legislature on their concerns.
"The people of East Meadow need to express their opinions directly to every legislator and the county executive," Campo said. "I plan on being there and given the opportunity, I will address the full legislative body on this issue."
If the legislation passes, Suozzi can either sign it into law or veto it. If he vetoes it, the Legislature would need 13 votes to override.
"As late as Aug. 19 this year, the county executive made a personal commitment [during a community meeting] to the school district that he will honor the program," Gonsalves said.
It is not yet known whether or not Suozzi plans to veto the legislation.
