Property owners uncertain of Mangano assessment plan

Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano's assessment reform plan was greeted with uncertainty by commercial real estate owners and homeowners, who have long called for changes to the county's assessment system.

"This is just more stalling," said Melville-based developer Ted Weiss, who has just one office building left in Nassau after selling seven properties over the past six years, he said, due to the assessments.

Weiss said he doubted assessment challenges would be resolved faster and refunds issued promptly under the newly announced system. Mangano said the county would save $50 million next year and $300 million over four years by requiring commercial property assessment challengers to submit certified appraisals by Oct. 1 or pay a $5,000 fine.

Aldo Calabrese, co-owner of a Port Washington landscape company, said a new fine and time constraints for challenges to certified appraisals were "excessive."

"We don't know what's going to happen and how it's going to impact us businesses," said Calabrese, who was part of a 2006 lawsuit in which Port Washington commercial property owners claimed they bear a disproportionate share of school taxes.

Homeowners, who would be assessed every four years instead of annually under Mangano's new policy, also greeted the proposal with skepticism.

"Mr. Mangano is using his plan to basically save the county, but doing nothing for the homeowner or the business owner," said Patrick Nicolosi, president of the Elmont East End Civic Association.

Moving to a quadrennial assessment cycle would take the county away from the accepted best practices for assessments, said Bill Carroll, the president of the International Association of Assessing Officers. "The market changes every year," said Carroll, who is retired as assessor for Williamson County, Texas. "If you don't, your roll becomes inequitable."

Carroll acknowledged annual assessments can be unpopular with taxpayers and cost governments money, but said they get the most accurate figures.

Jericho real estate executive Mark Hamer, a member of Mangano's Assessment Review Team that studied the issue, said no taxes will decrease simply as a result of any changes to how assessments are done. "This is not going to change higher taxes. We all accept that," he said. "Until you cut spending you're not solving the problem."

With Sid Cassese

and William Murphy