Nassau assesor raps state taxing district report

BY WILLIAM MURPHY | william.murphy@newsday.com

6:22 PM EDT, May 6, 2008

Nassau County Tax Assessor Harvey Levinson yesterday criticized a state panel for not calling for the abolition of all commissioner-run special taxing districts.

Levinson said the Commission on Local Government Efficiency should have recommended that towns take total control of all commissioner-run sanitation districts, and that most other districts should come under the supervision of the county.

"Unfortunately, there is no way that you can truly save our overburdened taxpayers real money unless you bite the political bullet and change the system," Levinson said.

The assessor, an early proponent of reforming special districts, did praise the state panel for recommending that the district provide more detailed financial information so taxpayers can compare costs to those of similar districts, and for calling for an end to paid commissioners.

However, Nassau County Comptroller Howard Weitzman, a member of the state panel, said its proposals would save Nassau taxpayers millions of dollars if implemented.

Levinson and Weitzman differed on parts of the panel's report. Levinson said that transferring commissioner-run sanitation districts to town control would still leave the districts intact and allow continued disparities among districts. Weitzman said there would be substantial savings to taxpayers by eliminating salaries, benefits and pensions for the commissioners.

In response to the findings of the state panel, Gov. David A. Paterson proposed legislation May 1 eliminating pay and perks for special district commissioners, and putting towns in charge of sanitation districts.

Levinson added that the state panel had not acted to reform fire and police districts, and noted that the other special districts would be eliminated only if residents of the district failed in a referendum to affirmatively vote to keep the districts.