MINEOLA, NY – Today, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran vetoed six pieces of legislation related to the Department of Assessment proposed and passed by the Republican Majority in the Nassau County Legislature, by a vote of 11-8 along party lines. In her disapproval memorandum filed today, the County Executive stressed that their package of legislation would fail to benefit taxpayers and cited the history of Republican Majority’s inaction and support of the Mangano Administration’s corrupt, unfair assessment system for political advantage.
“This flurry of useless legislation is more of the same – politics first, taxpayers last. It is not meant to offer real solutions or relief – it’s meant to mislead taxpayers and distract from their decade of doing nothing,” said County Executive Curran. “I urge the Republican Majority to take real action and pass my Taxpayer Protection Plan - a plan that will actually protect taxpayers while we continue to fix the damage caused by the Mangano Administration. The Majority needs to stop wasting time and fearmongering during an election year.”
The County Legislative Majority has failed to allow a vote on County Executive Curran’s Taxpayer Protection Plan which will effectively spread out any relative changes, increases and decreases, in tax burden due to the reassessment, over a five-year period. In addition, the Republican controlled Legislature has also once again delayed voting on three County contracts needed for necessary assessment services for the 2021/2022 assessment roll. Instead, they have called a vote on their package of assessment legislation which Curran references as a political stunt.
"For years the Republicans were complicit in the Mangano administration's corruption of the tax rolls. Now they are trying to blame everyone but themselves. They should stop the dishonest fear-based politics and pass the Taxpayer Protection Plan to give real protections to taxpayers," Nassau County Legislature Minority Leader Kevan M. Abrahams (D – Freeport) said.
Without locking in the Taxpayer Protection Plan, the Republican Majority in the Nassau County Legislature will leave 50% of property owners with significant immediate increases in their property taxes. Further, uncertainty in property taxes is likely to push homebuyers to other markets. The Taxpayer Protection Plan will secure exemptions for class one residential property owners experiencing assessment increases.
To continue to provide transparency for taxpayers as Nassau County restores fairness and equity to the property assessment system, the Department of Assessment has prepared hypothetical tax estimates for every class one residential property owner factoring in Curran’s Taxpayer Protection Plan.
Taxpayer Protection Plan statements that show hypothetical estimated property taxes for the 2020-2021 tax year are available at MyNassauProperty.com. Also, an updated Frequently Asked Questions page on AsktheCountyAssessor.com provides more information on the plan. Curran recommends residents contact their local Legislator by calling 516-571-6200, ext. 7 to urge them to pass this important legislation immediately.
