May 26, 2006
Contacts:
Allen Morrison, Nassau County Comptroller’s Office, (516) 571-2383
Stuart Vincent, Hofstra University, (516) 463-6493

NASSAU COUNTY LEADERS, POLICY EXPERTS TO
DISCUSS SPECIAL TAX DISTRICTS AT HOFSTRA

June 8 Conference Will Hear From Experts,
District Officials, and Business/Community Groups

Improving the efficiency and accountability of Nassau's 200 special tax districts with an eye toward saving taxpayer dollars will be the topic of discussion and debate at the first-ever, countywide Conference on Nassau County Special Districts, to be held Thursday, June 8 at Hofstra University's Center for Suburban Studies.  (The official conference invitation is attached.)

A distinguished roster of local elected officials and experts on law, economics, and local government will be featured at the conference, which is co-sponsored by Hofstra University's Center for Suburban Studies, the Long Island Association, The Rauch Foundation, Cablevision, and Herald Community Newspapers.  The conference, planned by a working committee of local officials organized by Comptroller Howard Weitzman, is being hosted by Richard Guardino, Executive Dean of the Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra.

Comptroller Weitzman said, “With Long Island’s property taxes among the highest in the nation, we need to examine all avenues for saving taxpayers money.  Everyone needs garbage collected, clean drinking water, and fire protection.  But Nassau residents can pay two or three times as much for the same service depending on the district in which they live.  Our audits unveiled millions of dollars of waste by some special districts, and a general lack of accountability, transparency and oversight.  That’s not to say that all special districts should be painted with that broad brush.  But it does suggest  – and many of my fellow public officials agree – that it is time to take a fresh look at how we provide these services, how they might become more efficient, and whether we might be able to reduce property taxes, even while maintaining or improving services.  This conference is intended to be the first step.”

"This is precisely the type of issue that the Center for Suburban Studies was created to study," Dean Guardino said. "The proliferation of fire, water, lighting, sewer and other special
more
taxing districts have had a major impact on Long Island in terms of affordability and development, and bringing all these experts together to discuss the issue is a good first step in tackling the problem."

Officials scheduled to participate at the conference include NYS Senator Michael Balboni; NYS Assemblyman Thomas DiNapoli; Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi; Nassau County Comptroller Howard Weitzman; Nassau County Chairman of the Board of Assessors Harvey Levinson; Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto; Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray; North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman; and Nassau County Legislator Diane Yatauro.  Several commissioners of special districts in the areas of sanitation, water supply, and fire protection also will present their views.

The elected officials will be joined by a panel of experts including Long Island Association (LIA) Vice President Mitchell Pally; economists Pearl Kamer of the LIA and Irwin Kellner of Hofstra; Hofstra University Law Professor Eric Lane; Charles Zettek, Jr. of the Center for Governmental Research; Newsday investigative reporter Elizabeth Moore; and Joseph F. Beach, Assistant Chief Administrative Officer of Montgomery County, Maryland, a county often cited for its streamlined and unified approach to providing services.

The conference will include two panel discussions, followed by a “Town Hall” meeting with the elected officials.  The first panel, entitled “Special Districts: Current Practices and Structure,” moderated by Dean Richard Guardino, will include an overview of the subject by Mr. Zettek, who also contributes to the annual Long Island Index study sponsored by the Rauch Foundation.  It will also feature an economic impact analysis by Dr. Kamer; a discussion of the special problems of providing services in areas with a low commercial tax base; and presentations by current district commissioners. 

The second panel, to be called “Special Districts: Problems and Solutions,” will be moderated by Professor Irwin Kellner.  Addressing the “problems” will be Comptroller Weitzman, who will speak about the lack of transparency and accountability found in his audits of certain sanitary districts; Newsday reporter Elizabeth Moore, who will discuss the findings of her investigation of Long Island fire districts; and South Hempstead resident Laura Mallay, who will speak about her challenge to the practices of one of the Hempstead Sanitary Districts.  Possible alternative ways of providing these services will be discussed by Mitchell Pally, who will speak about several LIA proposals for change;  Law Professor Eric Lane, who will speak about the legal context for reform; and Mr. Joseph Beach, Assistant Chief Administrative Officer of  Montgomery County, Maryland, who will address, among other topics, the county’s experience in moving fire districts, over a 30-year period, from district tax rates and services to a countywide tax base and county control over the fire service.

During the “Town Hall” session, all the participating elected officials will have an opportunity to present their views, followed by an audience Q&A moderated by Mr. Guardino.

In the fall of 2005, Comptroller Weitzman’s office conducted audits of five sanitary districts in the three towns.  In four of the five audits, the Comptroller found serious financial mismanagement; a lack of oversight; few, if any, written policies and procedures; overspending, faulty contracting, and questionable employment and benefit practices.  As a result of the audits, the State Comptroller and the District Attorney initiated independent investigations.  A December 2005 “white paper” on the county’s special districts issued by the Comptroller’s Office reviewed their history and development, examined lessons learned from the audits, and cited a widespread lack of oversight and accountability.  The report may be downloaded or read on-line by CLICKING HERE.

In 2003, Hofstra became one of the first universities in the nation to explore an aspect of modern society that has been sorely neglected by the academic world: suburbia.  With the founding of the Center for Suburban Studies by President Stuart Rabinowitz, Hofstra, located just six miles from America's first suburban development – Levittown – strives to become a leader in bringing perspective to this distinctly American invention that has so significantly impacted our region.  The Center was established as a national think tank, designed to examine such issues as consolidation of government, smart growth, homeland security in local communities, preservation of open space, affordable housing, energy policy, and revitalization of downtowns.

Click here to view the invitation to the first Conference on Nassau Special Districts
      (.PDF format file)

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