Acrimonious Nassau committee OKs tax dispute changes

After more than an hour of finger-pointing and shouting, members of Nassau County legislative committees approved a proposal meant to speed up the resolution of commercial property tax disputes.

The new rules would mandate that commercial property owners who seek a tax reduction file a certified appraisal or offer a good-faith appraisal of their own by Oct. 1 of each year. Owners who do neither, but still challenge the assessment, would be subject to a $5,000 fine. The measure now goes before the full legislature for a vote on Monday.

Democrats, now in the minority, questioned whether the change would actually save any of the $100 million a year the county pays out annually in reimbursement for overassessments.

The new Republican majority challenged the Democrats, claiming they had done little to control spiraling assessment costs during the past eight years that they controlled county government.

"People are standing on a soapbox complaining after eight years of doing absolutely nothing, absolutely nothing," Legis. Francis X. Becker (R-Lynbrook) said, his voice rising as he jabbed his index finger across the dais at Democrats.

"I haven't been here for eight years," shouted back Legis. Wayne Wink (D-Roslyn). "I have been here three years and in that time I have done everything I can to articulate the issues of the assessment system."

The chairman of the Committee on Government Services and Operations, Legis. Howard Kopel (R-Lawrence) banged the gavel to restore order.

In other action, committees also approved an early retirement program for county workers that would pay them a $1,500 bonus for each year worked.

But there was some uncertainty over how a state program covering government workers, whose details have not been announced, would mesh with the county's buyout program.

With Sid Cassese