LI BRIEFS
NASSAU COUNTY/Legislature OKs Mangano property assessment plan
For the second time in three weeks, the Nassau County Legislature has approved plans by County Executive Edward Mangano to address the chronic overassessment of property, a practice that leads to hefty refunds.
Monday's vote was 11-8, with Republicans supporting the Mangano plan and all eight Democrats voting against it. The earlier vote, 11-0 on June 29, was taken at a meeting boycotted by Democrats, who claimed it failed to meet public notice requirements.
The presiding officer, Legis. Peter Schmitt (R-Massapequa), said Monday's vote was intended to ensure its legality. He said that before the June vote, the bill had been filed six hours past the deadline.
He said he pushed the measure through in June at the request of Mangano, who was having a meeting the next day with the watchdog Nassau County Interim Finance Authority.
Under the bill, commercial property owners who want to challenge their assessments would have to file a timely certified appraisal or make a good-faith counteroffer with supporting documentation.
- WILLIAM MURPHY
CALVERTON/Another contender joins race for State Senate
Greg Fischer of Calverton has joined the contenders who are waging primaries in Suffolk.
Fischer will face Democratic Party designee Regina Calcaterra in the First State Senate District primary. The winner will face veteran State Sen. Kenneth LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) in November's election.
Fischer said his nominating petitions contained more than 1,800 signatures. Calcaterra filed more than 3,700, nearly four times the 1,000 required.
Fischer has claimed that Calcaterra is not qualified to be a candidate because she has not resided in New York for the past five years.
Hank Sheinkopf, a Calcaterra spokesman, called Fischer's claims "ridiculous" because Calcaterra never gave up her New York residency during the time she worked for a Philadelphia-based law firm on the fraud case against WorldCom. He said Calcaterra is not concerned about facing a primary opponent, because the contest "will help Regina prepare for her victory in the fall."
- RICK BRAND
BABYLON TOWN/Several areas to be sprayed to guard against West Nile
Several neighborhoods in the town of Babylon will be sprayed with pesticides Tueday and Wednesday to guard against West Nile virus, Suffolk health officials said. Routine spraying will also take place on Fire Island and at Smith Point County Park.
Officials say children and pregnant women should avoid exposure by staying inside during and after spraying.
Tuesday, parts of Deer Park and East Half Hollow Hills will be treated with Scourge between 8:30 and 11:30 p.m. The same chemical will be applied tomorrow in parts of Babylon, North Babylon, West Babylon and North Lindenhurst, also between 8:30 and 11:30 p.m.
Tuesday on Fire Island, Davis Park and Point O'Woods will be sprayed with Anvil between 6:30 and 10:30 p.m. Smith Point County Park will be treated between 6 and 9 a.m.
For more information, call the spraying information hotline at 631-852-4939 or go to suffolkcountyny.gov/health and click on mosquito spraying.
- JENNIFER SMITH
