By Hector Flores
In May, homeowners passed the East Meadow School District¹s 2007-08 budget of $157 million, which called for a tax levy increase of 3.9 percent. This translated into a school tax increase of $178 for the average homeowner. With the addition of the East Meadow properties to the tax pool, however, the levy increase has been trimmed to 3.8 percent, which will save the average homeowner approximately $15 in school taxes.
In July, the Board of Education received notice from the Nassau County Assessor¹s Office that 46 properties in the school district had lost their tax exemptions, which would result in about $98,000 of new revenue for the district. The board voted unanimously in early August to return the money to homeowners by reducing their school tax increases.
Leon Campo, acting superintendent of the East Meadow School District, said, ³The Nassau County assessor advised the East Meadow School District that some tax-exempt property owners were no longer exempt, and would pay $98,175 in unanticipated taxes. Upon receipt of this good news for homeowners, and upon recommendation of the administration, the Board of Education unanimously voted to reduce the tax levy increase ...²
Deborah Coates, president of the Board of Education, added, ³Our taxpayers deserved to have the good news translate into a tax savings. We have acted in unison to help our taxpayers, who have continued to support our schools and the programs for our children.²
Campo explained that about 25 percent of the land area in East Meadow is partially or fully exempt from property taxes. These parcels include Nassau University Medical Center, the Nassau County jail and Eisenhower Park. ³This translates into higher taxes for our residents,² he said. ³Every once in a while we get good news in the area of taxation. This is one of those rare positive moments which we turned into a tax reduction for the people of the community.²
Randy Yunker, a spokesman for the assessor¹s office, said that the properties whose tax status had changed were most likely owned by senior citizens who had applied and were granted exemptions by the state. They included seniors enrolled in the School Tax Relief, or STAR, program, veterans, firefighters, the disabled, or those who have made improvements to their property. When those homes were sold, the new owners inherited the exemptions, but only until the county updated its tax rolls.
³For example, if the house is sold in the middle of the tax [season], we can¹t make the change on the roll because it is established,² Yunker said. ³The new owner understands that they are exempt until the exemption is removed. [Then], the new owners are responsible for paying the restored taxes.²
Yunker explained that the assessor¹s office oversees the application process for school tax exemptions. ³The assessor¹s office generally reviews tens of thousands of applications,² he said. ³Mr. [Harvey] Levinson is not only chair of the Board of Assessors, but serves as director of Real Property Services.²
The county updates its tax rolls annually, Yunker said, and some school districts choose to return increased revenue to residents, while others add the money to their contingency budgets.
Helen Meittinis, a Salisbury resident and president of the Community Association of Stewart Avenue, said, ³Anything that causes taxes to go down is good. That means someone is doing a good job.²
Comments about this story? HFlores@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.
