By MIKE CAPUTO
If the referendum passes, the position of county assessor will change from an elected office to an appointed position, effective in January.
Legislator Wayne Wink (D-Roslyn), chairman of the county Legislature's Government Services committee, explained that he introduced the measure as a way to improve an office that is highly scrutinized by constituents. "I have heard more frequently from constituents how frustrating and vexing the assessment system is," Wink said. "After holding a number of hearings on the assessment system, I came to the conclusion that the only way to really reinstill confidence in the system and provide the most accurate assessment roll as possible is to actually have a professionally appointed assessor."
Potential appointees would have to meet a set of educational and professional standards established by the Legislature. Nassau County currently has the only countywide assessment system in the state that is led by an elected assessor and a board. It is the second-largest assessment unit in New York, and is one of only two countywide systems. In Suffolk County, town governments perform assessments.
If the referendum passes, the appointed assessor would be selected by County Executive Tom Suozzi and confirmed by the Legislature. The appointee would have a three-year term, instead of the current six years. According to Wink, the shorter term would increase accountability and oversight of the assessor to ensure the most accurate rolls.
Wink stressed that the measure is not aimed at the work of current County Assessor Harvey Levinson or his predecessors. "This was not put forward as an indictment of the current assessor or another assessor over the last 25 years," Wink said. "This is really looking at the situation and knowing that we are the second-largest assessing unit in the entire state of New York."
The proposal faces opposition from the Republican minority in the Legislature. Legislator Norma Gonsalves (R-East Meadow) said she is concerned that turning the assessor into an appointed position would take away the rights of voters. "It takes away Nassau County residents' constitutional rights to vote on someone who is making policy," Gonsalves said. "It is not a good thing. He or she should be elected, not appointed."
Even though he was elected in 2003, Levinson has voiced his support for the referendum. He plans to retire in November, a year before his six-year term is up.
Despite the Republicans' arguments, Levinson said, his position does not make or amend policy. "The primary argument for the appointing of an assessor is the valuation of property - it is not a policy issue," Levinson said. "It is an administrative function that is generated by sophisticated computer models, and the numbers are run without giving anyone a benefit or trying to hurt anybody."
Levinson, a Democrat, said that an appointment would also take party labels off future assessors. "This would remove some of the politics from the situation, and you wouldn't say Democrat or Republican," he said.
Tony Brita, vice chairman of the Board of Assessors, would assume Levinson's position on an interim basis on Nov. 13, when he plans to retire. If the referendum passes, Brita would remain in the position until Suozzi appoints a new assessor. A failed referendum would keep Brita in the assessor's seat until it is up for election again in November 2009.
Although is has been nearly 40 years since Nassau County voters were given a similar opportunity - removing the sheriff's position from the ballot - Wink said the referendum is the best way to make these kinds of decisions. "Any time you are talking about changing, altering or eliminating an elected position, the people should have a right to decide," he said. "That is what this referendum is all about. It is giving people the opportunity to determine how we move forward with fixing our assessment system."
Comments about this story? MCaputo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 287.
