Towns hit community college cost shift

Suffolk's town supervisors lashed out at County Executive Steve Levy Monday for trying to impose a "secret tax" by shifting to Suffolk's 10 towns an $11 million bill to pay for local students who attend state community colleges outside the county.

The supervisors warned that the costs could increase taxes by up to 13 percent in some towns. They are considering creating a separate line on next year's property tax bill.

"The 'Levy levy' has a nice ring to it," said Southold Supervisor Scott Russell, a Republican.

Brookhaven Supervisor Mark Lesko, a Democrat who heads the supervisors association, denounced Levy's proposed tax shift as an unfunded mandate. Lesko branded the proposal as "sheer hypocrisy," since Levy, a Republican, has spent his career criticizing the state and federal governments for dumping costs on counties.

Eight of 10 supervisors took part in the Hauppauge news conference. Babylon Supervisor Steve Bellone, the Democratic candidate for county executive, said the change "makes no sense governmentally" because the towns have nothing to do with the community college system.

Republican county executive candidate Angie Carpenter, the Suffolk treasurer, called Levy's action "totally unfair."

Levy aides could not be reached for comment. But in the past Levy has said that shifting community college costs will more fairly spread the cost to the towns that send the most students to state community colleges outside Suffolk.

The issue is driven primarily by concerns about Manhattan's Fashion Institute of Technology, which charges the home counties of students from outside Manhattan $10,980 per year for any degree -- more than twice the full-time tuition for students at Nassau and Suffolk community colleges. FIT is classified in state law as a two-year community college but also offers bachelor's and master's degrees.

In August, a court sided with the argument by North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman that taxpayers should not have to foot any of the bill for people seeking bachelor's or master's degrees at FIT.

The town had sued Nassau over the county's right to impose tuition charges on towns for local students who attend state community colleges elsewhere, particularly FIT.

County Attorney John Ciampoli said Nassau plans to appeal.

In his ruling, State Supreme Court Justice Anthony Parga upheld Nassau's right to collect out-of-county tuition from towns but limited charges to those for FIT's two-year associate degree programs.

Of FIT's 10,386 students, the school charges back local governments for 2,193 -- more than half of them from Nassau and Suffolk.

Under the ruling, Nassau would be free of making payments for 265 of its 612 FIT students while Suffolk would no longer have to make payment for 268 of its 600 FIT students.

Tution tab

Suffolk payments for students attending out-of-county community colleges*

Babylon: 1,378 students; tuition $3,266,688

Brookhaven: 645; $2,224,684

East Hampton: 41; $170,265

Huntington: 1,128; $2,597,814

Islip: 666; $1,713,642

Riverhead: 30; $141,131

Shelter Island: 3, $2,295

Smithtown: 196; $585,240

Southampton: 61; $291, 007

Southold: 30; $85,293

Sept. 1, 2010, through Aug. 31, 2011