By:Hector Flores
The association was invited to speak at last Tuesday's North Bellmore Civic meeting and sent representatives Paul and Robert Kosowski to outline its five-point purpose:
¥ To promote open, honest and moral government that is responsive to the needs of Nassau County.
¥ To encourage public participation and awareness.
¥ To limit and reduce the high burden of government taxation on Nassau County residents.
¥ To seek and support any reform that may be necessary to achieve its objectives and purposes.
¥ To disseminate information concerning all aspects of the above.
Paul Kosowski, of Bellmore, used the Roslyn School District scandal, in which two district officials were arrested and charged with stealing $2 million, to raise a few points.
"Our organization proposes that school budgets [that have been voted and accepted] be placed on the Web sites of each school district," he said. "This way local residents, who have a background in accounting or finance, can examine the budget and see what taxpayers are spending their money on."
Kosowski said the biggest problem facing Nassau County residents is ensuring fiscal accountability on the part of their school districts. Sixty percent of a resident's total tax bill is school taxes, he said. But there is no independent supervision of the school districts to make sure that tax money is spent properly.
"The Roslyn scandal has proven that increased funding does not necessarily improve the quality of education," he said. "Between seven and $8 million in spending were deemed questionable. These funds could have been used to limit the growth of local taxation.
"With state lawmakers struggling to address the recent legal victory of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, it is imperative that school funding be fair and adequate throughout the state, and absolutely necessary."
To learn more about the Nassau County Civic Association visit www.nassaucivic.com.
