County says 2 Nassau hotels owe back taxes

Two of Nassau's 56 hotels and motels are delinquent on payment of the county occupancy tax and together owe $740,000 in fines and back taxes, Comptroller George Maragos said.

The Jones Beach Hotel in Wantagh has not paid since the tax was instituted in 1994, while the Allegria Hotel & Spa in Long Beach has not paid since it opened in 2010, according to Maragos.

Maragos said Tuesday that the integrity of the system is tested "when there isn't effective enforcement. I am glad the [county] treasurer's office has accepted our recommendations and will immediately go after these delinquent hotels."

The Jones Beach Hotel, with about two dozen rooms, owes $610,400 in fines and $3,702 in back taxes, while the 143-room Allegria owes $112,936 in back taxes and $19,576 in fines. Fines are assessed at $100 per day.

Joe Bruno, the accountant for the Jones Beach Hotel, did not respond to Newsday queries. Allegria general manager Mike Witte said the hotel "is working to meet all of its current and previous obligations and [we] expect a very successful summer."

In 2010, the last year for which complete data is available, about $4 million in occupancy taxes was collected, Maragos said. Revenue from the tax goes primarily to promote tourism and conventions and to help operate nonprofit museums and cultural organizations.

Maragos said he recommended that the county treasurer develop written procedures for processing delinquents, that automatic notifications go out for late payments and that businesses late for more than two quarters be referred "to collections."

The treasurer's office reports to County Executive Edward Mangano. Spokeswoman Katie Grilli-Robles said Mangano was out of town Tuesday and unavailable for comment.