It is no secret that high property taxes are a major concern for all Long Island homeowners. Nassau County has not raised property taxes for the last four years, and I am proud to have never voted for a tax increase. Yet despite our remarkable financial turnaround here in Nassau, the problem still persists for many taxpayers. So why do our taxes keep going up? And what can we do to fight it?

That is why I am hosting my annual Why Your Taxes Are So High seminar this May. On May 3 at 7 p.m. at the Farmingdale Public Library, I will address these questions and other concerns. It is paramount that you, as concerned members of the community attend these meetings and we send a clear message to policymakers up in Albany that change is needed.

The first step toward change is to understand the roots of the problem. High property and school taxes are a complex problem caused by a variety of factors, from Albany and Washington all the way down to our local villages, school districts and special districts. Unfunded mandates, mismanagement, excessive government, and poor planning at all levels can all contribute to tax bills that hurt our most vulnerable residents.

The most significant factor driving up our taxes is the staggering imbalance in state aid to Nassau County. While the average school district in the U.S. receives 57 percent of its budget from state aid, the average school in New York State receives only 38 percent. But here in Nassau County, our school districts receive only 17 percent of their budgets from Albany. That low amount of state aid means that over 78 percent of our schools' budgets must be generated by local property taxes.

We here in Nassau pay the highest local property taxes in the nation, over 70 percent above the national average. We send $3 billion per year more to Albany in taxes than we receive back in state aid. In fact, if Nassau schools just received the national average of 57 percent, it would equal an increase in revenues of over $50 million per year for most districts. That is $50 million that we are missing out on every single year. And it has to stop.

The school aid formula used by Albany is based heavily on property values, even though most Long Island homeowners could not afford to buy their own homes at today's market values. The system they use prevents our schools from receiving adequate aid because they consider Nassau to be an affluent region. But we know that Nassau property owners cannot realize our so-called "property wealth" unless we sell our homes!

We can work together to fight high taxes. I strongly urge all residents to attend one of these meetings as well as write to their state representatives and the political leaders in Albany and demand that we in Nassau receive our fair share. For more information about this reform campaign to seek fairness in state aid for Nassau County schools, please do not hesitate to call my office at 571-6214.