Assessor Levinson To Appear On “Meet The Leaders”

(Mineola, NY) In what appears to be a deliberate attempt by state parks officials to conceal its public documents concerning rental, lease and concession agreements that have been granted to private entrepreneurs operating in public parks throughout Nassau County, Assessor Harvey Levinson’s second freedom of information request to review these special agreements was denied.

In responding to Assessor Levinson’s second freedom of information request, a parks department official wrote that “this Agency is not in possession of records or documents” pertaining to agreements that have been negotiated by the parks commissioner. Last month, an attorney for the agency - who agreed to forward information - reversed himself after the media reported that Mr. Levinson criticized the terms of the deal. The attorney then stated that the office would not be sending information to the Department of Assessment citing that “there are no tax issues concerning these properties.”

“State parks officials need to be reminded that they have an obligation to ensure the free access to public documents,” stated Assessor Levinson. “Their repeated denials not only reveal an institutional arrogance, but give the appearance that these appointed state officials have something to hide.”

Assessor Levinson’s interest in reviewing these public documents began when he learned that the state parks commissioner negotiated a deal permitting real estate developer Donald Trump to build a $40 million dollar catering facility at Jones Beach State Park that would not pay any property taxes or PILOT agreement payments to the Wantagh School District over the course of the 40-year lease. It is estimated that the school district will be deprived of millions of dollars in property taxes over the term of the lease.

While Assessor Levinson has vowed to continue his fight to obtain the documentation he seeks from the New York State Office of Parks, he renewed his call for lawmakers to amend state law to prevent agencies from trading its tax-exempt status to for-profit entities at the expense of local municipalities and school districts. Mr. Levinson added that construction projects on public land should be a more open process requiring repeated public notification in the same manner that is mandated when filing for a local variance. In the case of Trump’s catering facility, “signs with an artist rendering should have been posted on the Jones Beach boardwalk to advertise the project months before the deal was finalized,” stated the Assessor.

“Any development on public land should and must serve a public purpose, since the taxpayer will ultimately be responsible for paying for the infrastructure that supports the facility,” stated Assessor Levinson. “Mr. Trump would have never entered into this agreement if it didn’t benefit him financially or help promote his image.

“Did state officials give special consideration to Trump after he donated land in Westchester to create a park in his name? Why didn’t state officials negotiate a naming rights deal that would have generated millions of dollars in revenues? Many questions still remain and taxpayers deserve answers,” concluded Assessor Levinson.

ASSESSOR LEVINSON’S FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST IS REFUSED BY NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF PARKS