Complete Coverage: Special Districts on Long Island

Timeline of Newsday's investigation into double-dipping

FEB. 14-17: Newsday reports that five Long Island school districts falsely reported to the state that part-time private attorney Lawrence Reich was a full-time employee in each district, enabling him to earn a $62,000 pension and health benefits for life. A federal grand jury in Suffolk opens an investigation into possible fraudulent double-dipping at the districts; FBI agents subpoena the districts' financial records, and the state comptroller's office says it will audit four of the five districts. Newsday reports that Joseph Dragone, the Harborfields school official who made light of Reich's employment arrangement in a letter, retired from that district with a $122,000 pension and today makes $190,000 in the Roslyn school district as an interim superintendent.

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Paterson proposes changes on special districts

ALBANY - Gov. David A. Paterson proposed legislation yesterday to eliminate pay and perks for special district commissioners and put town boards in charge of sanitation districts.

Panel to deliver report on special districts

A state panel will deliver a report to Gov. David A. Paterson today on how New York could trim tax bills by merging, consolidating or eliminating special purpose districts or other layers of government.

Law would open special districts' finances

Saying they hope to bring special districts out of the "shadows," New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi have proposed new legislation requiring special districts to be more open about their finances.

Water commissioners: Paid to golf

On a sunny autumn morning last September, a number of water district commissioners, superintendents, engineers and others gathered for a breakfast meeting followed by several hours of golf at the Timber Point Golf Course in Great River.

LI FUTURE

Special districts mean more taxes

There's something peculiar about local government in New York.

Special districts: Big salaries, little oversight

Two laborers in the Oyster Bay sewer district, whose duties include "unskilled or semi-skilled manual tasks," each make an annual base salary of $101,000.

Few notice as special districts spend millions

Across Long Island, at scores of special districts that collect $473 million a year to pick up trash, distribute water and maintain community parks, critics say officials have all but kept out of the public spotlight, conducting their business as if they were members of a private club.