Legislator Richard J. Nicolello recently announced that 45,732 Nassau County residents have signed a petition demanding that the Majority Democrats place the Republican-proposed five-year reassessment freeze tax reform legislation before the Legislature for a hearing. According to the most recent census data, Nassau County residents pay the highest property taxes of the 62 counties in New York State. They also pay the second highest property taxes in the nation.

In March of 2007, the Republican legislators introduced a new law proposing a freeze on increases in assessed valuation on property for five years. The plan would help stabilize property taxes and would allow residents' assessed valuation to decrease during the five-year period, but not increase. "People are struggling to pay their bills and searching for an end to the constant increases in taxes," Legislator Nicolello said. "We need the stability this legislation provides."

The goal of the petition is to invoke a never-used Nassau County law that could force the presiding officer to schedule a hearing before the end of the year. According to the law, 2,000 signatures are required to force the hearing.

"The Majority Democrats have steadfastly refused to set a hearing on the law to allow the public to comment, consider and debate the merits of the proposal or put forward their own proposal," Nicolello said. "With the filing of the petition, more than 45,000 Nassau County residents have now spoken in favor of a hearing on the proposal. I call upon the Majority to listen to the people and immediately schedule a hearing."