I am writing in response to Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano’s letter to the editor entitled, “School Districts in Nassau County Spend – Tax Too Much,” (Oct. 18 Williston Times).
As a trustee and now president of the East Williston School District Board of Education for the past six years, I find it outrageous that the county executive claims that school spending is out of control and that is the cause of our high property taxes.
Upon review of the facts, the county executive can clearly see that since the incorporation of the governor’s cap on expenditures, the EWSD tax levy increase for this school year was 3.21 percent, an amount that was below the allowable governor’s cap based on the New York state formula.
In fact, virtually all Nassau County school budgets last spring were at an average levy increase of just over 3.0 percent.
Why then, was the average increase in Nassau County property taxes for EWSD residents, (as reported by Newsday) 6.90 percent for the 2013/14 school year?
The answer is clear and lies within the county’s own assessment system, which the county executive has yet to correct during his years in office.
So while school boards, especially the EWSD school board, have worked hard and continue to control school spending, the county executive together with the county assessor has yet to correct and align school district tax levy increases properly with property tax increases.
Instead, the county executive, while claiming to “Not Raise Taxes” looks to shift blame. That is not the only thing he is good at shifting.
The community should take note that two years ago, by a vote held by the Nassau County Executive, budget line items were directly shifted out of their own Nassau County budget directly into school district budgets.
For our district alone this accounted for an additional amount of over $100,000 in our budget for line items that have nothing to do with the education of children.
These budget items are for expenses that we are now forced to carry that were once carried by the county. The facts are that the EWSD budget now carries a line item for $60,000 in sewer tax, imposed by the county, while the Wheatley School does not even have sewers and the EWSD must now carry a line item for over $50,0000 in tax certiorari payments, when it is the county’s responsibility, by law, to assess, tax and collect.
School districts tax too much? I would say that it is clear that the Nassau County assessment system is still broken and until the county executive recognizes that and takes great steps to correct it, we will all continue to simply “spend too much”.
As budget season approaches I welcome your attendance at our budget workshops.
Know the facts. Ask questions and learn about the school budget process. Together we have made a difference and will continue to make a difference for all of us in the EWSD community.
Mark Kamberg
President, East Williston School District
