Nassau plan seeks to fix assessment roll

Before I gave an order to post online tax impact notices [“Nassau to borrow $100M,” News, Nov. 20], I was warned that sending notices to property owners by Dec. 1 was akin to falling off a political tightrope. But when I ran for office, I promised to fix the assessment mess — and I am fulfilling that promise.

I will be straight with taxpayers: About half of Nassau’s property owners will see a decrease in their taxes, while the other half will experience increases. To mitigate the impact, I am putting forth my Taxpayer Protection Plan, which will transition the new assessments for both increases and decreases over a period of at least five years for homeowners. This plan will need approval by the State Legislature.

Since everyone hates property taxes, why did I do this? Nassau County’s fiscal mess is intertwined with the unfair and inaccurate assessment roll. This week, the legislature authorized the county’s borrowing of $100 million to pay old assessment settlements — and that is only one-third of what is needed to clear the backlog. That is a waste of taxpayer dollars.

If we get assessments right, we won’t have to borrow to pay back property owners. Instead, we can fix our roads and bridges on time.

Use our website, www.askthecountyassessor.com. Residents already have made more than 8,000 phone calls to staff, and more than 2,500 property owners have visited our satellite offices. Appointments are available through January. Get the facts.

It is tempting to play it safe and just keep kicking the can down the road. But I know a transition over at least five years to new assessments will put the county on the right path for our future and our children’s future.

Laura Curran, Mineola

Editor’s note: The writer is Nassau County executive.