Suozzi to Taxpayers: “Vote on December 11th”
County Executive Implores Voters to Pay Attention to
Upcoming Elections to Determine Who Spends Over $170 million.
Mineola, NY – Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi today called on voters in dozens of Nassau County communities to pay attention to upcoming special district elections slated for Tuesday, December 11th. The 64 special districts, including 39 fire districts, 16 water districts, 4 sanitary districts, 3 water pollution control districts and 2 park districts, had combined 2007 budgets of more than $170 million. A list of elections is attached.
“Today I’m making a public appeal for the voters and property taxpayers of Nassau County to pay attention to the dozens of elections that will directly affect your taxes,” Suozzi said. “The current law and process don’t necessarily make it easy to vote in special district elections, but democracy isn’t always easy. Find out if your community has an election, learn about the candidates and issues, ask questions to educate yourself, then vote.”
Among the questions Suozzi said voters need to ask are who’s running, what are their qualifications, what are the issues facing your particular district, where are your tax dollars going, what are the short and long term plans for that district and what will those plans mean to your taxes. Suozzi noted that some but not all of the elections were contested.
Earlier this year, the County Executive released a study that revealed "a crazy quilt" of elections days, with an election for special districts, including among others, water, sanitary and library districts scheduled in 11 out of 12 months of the year, and as many as six elections in a single month.
The scattershot schedule of election days results in extremely low voter turnout – sometimes as low as 1.8% – which, in turn, leads to diminished accountability of these mini-governments that rely on taxpayer money. Suozzi today renewed his call for special districts to consolidate all their elections over two days – in May when school district elections are held and in November during the general election, noting that he would help secure the state legislation necessary to simplify voting in Nassau County.
“Voters often don’t know when these elections are held – or even that elections are taking place at all,” Suozzi said. “This crazy quilt of a schedule allows these districts to essentially operate in the shadows, hidden from voter scrutiny. Consolidating election dates into two days will shine a light on the whole process. It will spur voter participation, increase accountability and ensure taxpayer money is being spent wisely.”
“Elections are the source of accountability in democratic institutions,” Suozzi said. “My appeal for increased voter participation is not an attack on incumbents or individuals. It is an indictment of a system that discourages accountability and active involvement. Even while we work to structurally address the problem of too many layers of government and too many election days, voters can address the problem by educating themselves and participating in the process.”
In his 2007 State of the County Address, Suozzi made tackling property taxes through consolidation and increased government efficiency a top priority for the remainder of his second term. Two consulting teams are currently working on detailed analyses of government services including school business functions, libraries, water, solid waste, sewers, parks and roads and will be providing final reports with specific recommendations by February 2008.
Special District Elections scheduled for December 11, 2007:
| Town |
District Type |
District |
Phone Number |
Total Budgeted Expenses |
Rasied by Taxation |
| TOH |
Fire |
Atlantic Beach Fire District |
516-239-8065 |
$533,090 |
$451,643 |
| TOH |
Fire |
Baldwin Fire District |
516-223-7670 |
$3,814,584 |
$3,814,492 |
| TOH |
Fire |
Barnum Island Fire District |
516-432-0909 |
$481,024 |
$456,035 |
| TOH |
Fire |
Bay Park Fire District |
516-596-4259 |
$132,700 |
$116,499 |
| TOH |
Fire |
Bellerose Terrace District |
516-352-8933 |
$209,901 |
$209,897 |
| TOH |
Fire |
Bellmore District |
516-781-9240 |
$2,531,633 |
$2,500,065 |
| TOB |
Fire |
Bethpage Fire District |
516-931-2660 |
$3,980,146 |
$3,980,146 |
| TOH |
Fire |
Bethpage Fire District |
516-931-2660 |
$4,440,467 |
$308,504 |
| TOH |
Fire |
East End Atlantic Beach Fire District |
516-239-2725 |
$132,600 |
$126,982 |
| TOH |
Fire |
East Meadow Fire District |
516-542-0616 |
$4,860,545 |
$4,800,467 |
| TOH |
Fire |
Elmont Fire District |
516-354-0844 |
$5,200,934 |
$5,164,874 |
| TOH |
Fire |
Franklin Square Fire District |
516-488-1858 |
$2,494,280 |
$2,335,618 |
| TONH |
Fire |
Garden City Park Fire District |
516-746-3194 |
$2,437,000 |
$2,410,988 |
| TOH |
Fire |
Hewlett Bay Fire District |
516-374-4280 |
$1,395,000 |
$785,087 |
| TOB |
Fire |
Hicksville Fire District |
516-933-6444 |
$5,316,536 |
$5,316,536 |
| TOH |
Fire |
Inwood Fire District |
516-239-4324 |
$1,314,051 |
$1,285,288 |
| TOB |
Fire |
Jericho Fire District |
516-931-3546 |
$2,866,900 |
$2,866,900 |
| TOH |
Fire |
Lakeview Fire District |
516-255-5190 |
$1,036,850 |
$1,033,822 |
| TOH |
Fire |
Lawrence North Fire District |
516-371-3896 |
$122,905 |
$112,397 |
| TOH |
Fire |
Levittown Fire District |
516-731-5800 |
$3,104,100 |
$3,103,992 |
| TOH |
Fire |
Lido - Point Lookout Fire District |
516-432-6645 |
$756,724 |
$739,590 |
| TOB |
Fire |
Locust Valley Fire District |
516-676-0560 |
$1,707,757 |
$1,707,757 |
| TONH |
Fire |
Manhasset-Lakeville Fire District |
516-466-4416 |
$4,973,123 |
$4,537,917 |
| TOB |
Fire |
Massapequa Fire District |
516-798-2648 |
$5,402,794 |
$5,402,794 |
| TOH |
Fire |
Meadowmere Fire District |
516-239-3088 |
$387,640 |
$387,630 |
| TOH |
Fire |
New Hyde Park Fire District |
516-437-1349 |
$3,198,000 |
$621,517 |
| TONH |
Fire |
New Hyde Park Fire District |
516-437-1349 |
$3,198,000 |
$2,561,444 |
| TOH |
Fire |
North Bellmore Fire District |
516-409-4703 |
$3,922,889 |
$3,862,813 |
| TOB |
Fire |
North Massapequa Fire District |
516-579-0900 |
$2,193,273 |
$2,193,273 |
| TOH |
Fire |
North Merrick Fire District |
516-379-7204 |
$1,871,860 |
$1,871,822 |
| TOH |
Fire |
Oceanside Fire District |
516-766-3010 |
$4,973,000 |
$4,862,770 |
| TOH |
Fire |
Roosevelt Fire District |
516-378-3004 |
$1,437,557 |
$1,437,538 |
| TOH |
Fire |
Seaford Fire District |
516-679-6560 |
$1,471,074 |
$1,446,061 |
| TOB |
Fire |
South Farmingdale Fire District |
516-249-8898 |
$1,444,829 |
$1,444,829 |
| TOH |
Fire |
South Hempstead Fire District |
516-486-3406 |
$713,926 |
$708,914 |
| TOB |
Fire |
Syosset Fire District |
516-921-6597 |
$5,689,813 |
$5,689,813 |
| TOH |
Fire |
Uniondale Fire District |
516-481-8411 |
$4,039,120 |
$4,019,044 |
| TOH |
Fire |
Wantagh Fire District |
516-785-1774 |
$6,014,000 |
$5,995,483 |
| TOH |
Fire |
West Hempstead Fire District |
516-483-6244 |
$1,057,948 |
$1,049,939 |
| TONH |
Fire |
Westbury Fire District |
516-333-0427 |
$3,454,441 |
$2,443,313 |
| TOH |
Fire |
Woodmere Fire District |
516-374-2105 |
$2,002,021 |
$1,836,029 |
| TONH |
Park |
Great Neck Park District |
516-487-7665 |
$11,197,458 |
$7,892,553 |
| TONH |
Park |
Manhasset Park District |
516-627-7711 |
$1,715,963 |
$650,235 |
| TONH |
Sanitary |
Carle Place Garbage District |
516-333-6852 |
$637,700 |
$634,702 |
| TOB |
Sanitary |
Glenwood - Glenhead Garbage District |
516-609-3165 |
$978,801 |
$978,798 |
| TONH |
Sanitary |
Port Washington Garbage Removal District |
516-883-4447 |
$2,051,150 |
$1,748,141 |
| TONH |
Sanitary |
Roslyn Garbage District |
516-621-4865 |
$529,919 |
$497,907 |
| TONH |
Water |
Albertson Water District |
516-621-3610 |
$3,081,439 |
$1,507,428 |
| TONH |
Water |
Carle Place Water District |
516-333-0540 |
$2,247,908 |
$1,324,906 |
| TOH |
Water |
Franklin Square Water District |
516-354-0780 |
$2,313,605 |
$936,991 |
| TONH |
Water |
Garden City Park Water District |
516-746-3194 |
$3,641,709 |
$2,211,703 |
| TONH |
Water |
Glenwood Water District |
516-671-3382 |
$420,716 |
$182,916 |
| TOB |
Water |
Jericho Water District |
516-921-8280 |
$298,869 |
$298,611 |
| TOB |
Water |
Locust Valley Water District |
516-671-1783 |
$355,358 |
$355,332 |
| TONH |
Water |
Manhasset-Lakeville Water District |
516-466-4416 |
$8,966,204 |
$2,443,502 |
| TOB |
Water |
Massapequa Water District |
516-798-5266 |
$2,000,000 |
$1,999,930 |
| TOB |
Water |
Oyster Bay Water District |
516-922-5444 |
$721,336 |
$625,533 |
| TOB |
Water |
Plainview Water District |
516-931-6469 |
$3,052,317 |
$3,052,231 |
| TONH |
Water |
Port Washington Water District |
516-767-0171 |
$4,463,080 |
$1,286,003 |
| TONH |
Water |
Roslyn Water District |
516-621-7770 |
$3,868,213 |
$1,929,417 |
| TOB |
Water |
South Farmingdale Water District |
516-249-3330 |
$1,618,772 |
$1,618,669 |
| TOH |
Water |
West Hempstead - Hempstead Gardens Water District |
516-483-1180 |
$3,949,705 |
$1,347,312 |
| TONH |
Water |
Westbury Water District |
516-333-0427 |
$4,436,868 |
$2,376,371 |
| TONH |
Water Poll. Control |
Belgrave Water Pollution Control District |
516-487-2759 |
$3,003,500 |
$2,135,898 |
| TONH |
Water Poll. Control |
Great Neck Water Pollution Control District |
516-482-0238 |
$4,074,721 |
$2,940,421 |
| TONH |
Water Poll. Control |
Port Washington Water Pollution Control |
516-944-6100 |
$5,156,030 |
$4,194,476 |
|
|
|
Total: |
$181,096,118 |
$141,170,766 |
|
