ASSESSOR LEVINSON URGES NASSAU COUNTY LEGISLATORS TO
FOLLOW SUFFOLK COUNTY'S LEAD

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Board of Assessors Chairman Harvey Levinson (right) attends press conference held by Suffolk County legislators calling for creation of a "Homeowners Tax Reform Commission." Legislators pictured with Mr. Levinson are (left to right): Ed Romaine (R – 1st LD), Kate Browning (D – 3rd LD), Lynne Nowick (R – 13th LD), Presiding Officer William Lindsay (D – 8th LD), and Ricardo Montano (D – 9th LD). PHOTO COURTESY OF SUFFOLK COUNTY LEGISLATURE.

(Mineola, NY)  Board of Assessors Chairman Harvey Levinson today urged the Nassau County Legislature to introduce a resolution to establish a countywide committee to work with the Suffolk County Legislature to study the feasibility of ending the residential portion of the school property tax and replacing it with an income tax or exploring other alternative ways to reduce the reliance on property taxes.

"Last week I was invited to attend a press conference in Suffolk County held by Presiding Officer William Lindsay (D-Holbrook) and Legislator Lynn Nowick (R-Smithtown) who introduced a bill calling for the creation of a ‘Homeowners Tax Reform Commission’ to examine alternatives to property taxes,” stated Assessor Levinson.  “These courageous public officials set aside their party affiliations and agreed to engage in a meaningful dialogue to look at better ways to fund school districts.  They recognized that homeowners on Long Island are finding it increasingly difficult to pay their escalating school property taxes and that we are facing a tax crisis.  I believe that the time has come for Nassau’s legislative officials to step up to the plate and work with their counterparts in Suffolk in a bi-county effort.”

Assessor Levinson indicated that Governor Pataki ignored his repeated requests that a blue-ribbon bi-partisan statewide committee be commissioned to study his plan to end the school property tax, as well as other plans that have been introduced by Senators and Members of the Assembly on both sides of the aisle throughout the State, for the past two years.   

“For two years, I felt like the ‘voice in the wilderness,’” concluded Assessor Levinson.  “Thanks to the efforts of Suffolk County Presiding Officer Lindsay and his colleagues, I think that we have taken an important step to getting the Governor to view the school property tax issue in a global way and finally appoint a statewide committee. But until he does, the Nassau County Legislature should consider acting in concert with the Suffolk County Legislature.”