Letter: Dividing assessment oversight in Nassau
Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano speaks during a news conference at the Nassau County Executive building. (Sept. 12, 2013) Credit: Newsday / J. Conrad Williams Jr.
I read about Nassau Executive Edward Mangano's plan to splinter the county's property assessment function among the county's three towns and two cities ["Mangano wants towns to take over," News, Nov. 13].
I also read of Mangano's plan to save taxpayer dollars by placing parks under the supervision of the Department of Public Works ["Mangano fires Ciampoli," News, Nov. 14].
If saving tax dollars is accomplished by combining overlapping functions, how does the county executive explain his desire to escape the county's property assessment responsibility by dividing the job among the five towns and cities?
My take is that Mangano's team hasn't a clue about how to fix the assessment system, so the decision has been made to cut and run.
I suspect that shifting the assessment responsibility would raise each taxpayer's overall bill, while reducing the cost to the county. County expenses will appear to have been lowered, but the cost to the taxpayer will have risen. More smoke and mirrors.
Arnold Holtzman, Plainview
