By Mike Caputo
The governor was joined by several local officials, including County Executive Tom Suozzi and Comptroller Howard Weitzman, at a press conference held in Hofstra University's Axinn Library on Friday, Feb. 8.
Spitzer appeared at Hofstra to assert his support for the reform of special districts, which several elected officials and community leaders have blamed as one cause for high taxes. Supporters for special district reform have blamed the small taxing bodies, most of which are in Nassau County, for inefficiencies in spending and operations.
While speaking to an audience comprising reporters, college students and civic leaders, Spitzer echoed the viewpoint of many local officials and community leaders across the county. "We can no longer permit this to continue," Spitzer said.
Spitzer labeled special districts as having the "least oversight," the "least transparency" and the "least light shed."
Key services provided by special districts include water, fire and sanitation. The two bills, included in the governor's proposed executive budget announced earlier in the month, would hit sanitation districts especially hard. If included in the final state budget, one bill would eliminate pay for special district commissioners. Under state law, fire commissioners and school and library board members are not permitted to receive compensation. This bill then would target sanitation and water district commissioners, who have often been compensated for their positions.
The second bill would require all towns to assume operations of the special sanitary districts.
The two proposed reforms are based on recommendations submitted by the New York State Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness. Weitzman and Sen. Craig Johnson (D-Port Washington) were appointed as local representatives to the commission, established by Spitzer in 2007 and charged with investigating efficiency of local governments and providing recommended reforms to the governor. In addition to the two proposed reforms, the commission is expected to submit a full report in April.
Efforts to reform special districts in Nassau and across the state were initiated after an investigation by County Assessor Harvey Levinson, who discussed it with Weitzman in 2005. Weitzman then initiated his own study and released a disparity report in December that highlighted the taxing and spending discrepancies prevalent within special districts in the county.
Weitzman presented a sample tax receipt from a Franklin Square property owner, and the charges from three special districts - sanitation, water and fire - totaled nearly one-third of the owner's 2007 property tax bill and cost more than Town of Hempstead services.
"It is clearly an area that needs reform," Weitzman said.
Opponents of special district reform and consolidation of services have complained that such changes would reduce local control of services. Under the governor's proposed reform to consolidate sanitation operations within the town's operations, the district boundaries and commissioners would remain in place. For example, even though the Town of Hempstead would run the operations and employ the staff, the Five Towns - currently in Sanitary District 1 - could still receive back-door service. The type of service would be determined by the district's unpaid commissioner, through either a public referendum or another decision-making process to be decided upon by that official.
Civic organizations like Residents for Efficient Special Districts and the Long Island Progressive Coalition have been working alongside local officials to promote reform to the local governing bodies.
Lisa Tyson, director for the Long Island Progressive Coalition, backed the governor's proposals at the press conference. She announced a lobbying effort to call on state senators to support the venture.
Tyson suggested to the audience that the high cost from special districts was not the intention of the citizens who created them a century ago.
"This is home rule on steroids," she said. "It is horrifying."
Comments about this story? Mcaputo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
