Nassau County comptroller: George Maragos

GEORGE MARAGOS

REPUBLICAN

BACKGROUND: Maragos, 60, of Russell Gardens, also has the Conservative Party line. The founder of a 20-year-old financial technology firm in Manhattan and a former vice president at two of the nation's largest banks, he has a bachelor's degree from McGill University in Montreal and a master's from Pace University in Manhattan.

ISSUES: He said the county is currently in a very difficult financial condition because of the failure of the current Democratic administration and comptroller to adequately anticipate and plan for the recession. "Their failure to fix the tax assessment system, which is unfair and is costing the county over $80 million annually, has compounded the fiscal mess," he said, adding he would fix the system and implement better budget planning and strong oversight of spending to ensure that tax dollars are well spent.