January 22, 2008

Weitzman: Gov.’s proposed reforms of special taxing districts will reduce costs, increase oversight & end abuses

State budget calls for town control of independent garbage districts & end to commissioner salaries

Nassau County Comptroller Howard S. Weitzman said today that Governor Eliot Spitzer’s proposed reforms of special taxing districts will help reduce costs, end abuses and provide for better oversight.

“These budget proposals will help end decades of patronage, nepotism and misuse of taxpayer dollars,” Comptroller Weitzman said. “They address an area of government that is outdated and rampant with waste.”

The Governor’s special district reforms included in his 2008-2009 New York State budget were based on recommendations from the New York State Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness, on which Comptroller Weitzman serves. Comptroller Weitzman had proposed these reforms.

“I am very pleased that the governor included so many recommendations from the commission in his budget, as well as the two major proposals which I have been advocating for throughout the past year,” Weitzman said.

The first recommendation included in the budget calls for an end to salaries and benefits for special district commissioners; the second calls for commissioner-run sanitation districts to be placed under town management.

The proposal to end compensation and perks for Special District Commissioners would treat them the same as school board members or fire commissioners, who serve the community and receive no compensation.

“Let those wanting to serve their communities serve on these boards, minus the perks, the same as school board members and fire commissioners do,” said Weitzman.

The second proposal included in the Governor’s budget calls for commissioner-run sanitation districts to be subject to town management, which will help reduce costs, according to studies by Comptroller Weitzman.

“Placing commissioner-run sanitation districts under town management will not only increase transparency and accountability, but will reduce costs to taxpayers and eliminate millions of dollars in unnecessary spending in areas such as insurance, professional fees and no bid contracts,” Weitzman said.

 “I think the critical audits of special taxing districts that my office has done, coupled with the recent news stories on this issue, have led the Governor to seize this opportunity to call for fundamental reform. Now is the time,” Weitzman said.

Nassau County has more than 200 special taxing districts which last year levied $491M in property taxes in Nassau County, according to the Comptroller.

Weitzman said the battle is far from over. The Governor’s proposed budget will now head to the State Senate and Assembly for approval.

“I expect that the special interest groups will fight to hold onto their privileges,” said Comptroller Weitzman, “but the taxpayers are behind us and their voice will be heard.”

Over the past three years, Comptroller Weitzman has taken a leadership role on the issue of special taxing districts. In 2006 he held a countywide Conference on Nassau County Special Districts at Hofstra University with an eye on improving the efficiency and accountability of Nassau's 200 special tax districts. Under his urging, the Town of Hempstead agreed to join North Hempstead and Oyster Bay to exercise its authority to review the budgets of special taxing districts. The Comptroller’s Office has conducted important audits of the Westbury, Franklin Square and Hicksville Water Districts and the Great Neck Pollution Control Districts, among others and last year issued a Disparity Study of special taxing districts which showed that depending on where a person lives, they could be some paying far too much for garbage collection, water and fire protection. In April 2007, Weitzman was appointed by the Governor to the New York State Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness, a panel charged with developing a plan to streamline government.