On Tuesday, March 19, Nassau County residents are being asked to give Nassau BOCES the green light to buy a building for administrative offices and conference rooms. By law, BOCES must get voter approval to buy or sell facilities.

On the ballot: Purchase of 71 Clinton Road in Garden City, a three-story office building located in a commercial area near the Roosevelt Field Shopping Center. It will hold the programs and meeting rooms now housed in the Nassau BOCES "Salisbury Center," a rented former elementary school in Westbury. The Salisbury Center's landlord, the East Meadow School District, needs the building back for its own use and will not renew the lease, which expires June 30.

"After a long and exhausting search in a tight real estate market, we were very pleased to find 71 Clinton - a suitable, centrally located building that we could lease with an option to buy," explains Dr. Jerry W. Shiveley, district superintendent. Nassau BOCES has already contracted the 71 Clinton Road building and will be moving in later this spring.

If voters approve the purchase of the building, Nassau BOCES facilities costs will be reduced - costs that are passed along to the county's 56 local school districts. (Each pays in proportion to its student enrollment.)

Richard Schrafel, president of the Estates POA and chairman of the Joint Conference of Property Owners Associations [POAs], said, "The POAs have taken a position regarding this referendum and want to make it known to residents. This referendum will adversely affect Garden City village and school district taxes because if it passes, it will take a $14.8 million building off the tax roll which, in the village's case, will lower revenue by about $350,000." Schrafel said he wasn't sure how the referendum, if passed, would substantially affect school taxes.

"Over the next 10 years, we estimate that our costs passed along to local districts will be about $7 million less if we buy the building rather than rent it," Dr. Shiveley said. "After 20 years, the difference would be about $23 million - and we would own the building."

The referendum is to approve the expenditure of $13.6 million to buy the building and $1.2 million for associated fees and other purchase costs. The total amount of $14.8 million would be financed through the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY).

For many years, Nassau BOCES had no choice except to rent schools and offices. The result was escalating facilities' charges, substantial moving and renovation costs when leases expired and disruption of programs. Since 2000, we have had access to funding through DASNY," explains Dr. Shiveley, "and we are now seeking to buy buildings when it's appropriate - and when the purchase will provide long-term savings to our partner school districts."

The referendum is open to all US citizens 18 years of age or older, who have resided in Nassau County for at least 30 days. Any eligible voter may vote at any one of the eight sites, which are listed below. Voters will be required to sign a sheet that verifies their eligibility. (There is no provision for absentee ballots.) Voting will take place at all locations between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. The eight voting locations are geographically distributed around the county:

* Alternative Learning Program, 21 Chestnut St., Greenvale

* Carman Road School, Carmans Rd., Massapequa Park

* Eagle Avenue School, 307 Eagle Ave., West Hempstead

* Jamaica Ave. School, 85 Jamaica Ave. Plainview

* Jerusalem Ave. School, 2351 Jerusalem Ave., North Bellmore

* Nassau Tech Carle Place Center, 234 Glen Cove Rd., Carle Place

* Rosemary Kennedy Center, 2850 N. Jerusalem Rd., Wantagh

* Salisbury Center, 718 The Plain Rd., Westbury

For directions to any of the above polling locations or for more information about the vote, call 396-2208 or visit www.nassauboces.org. Carisa Keane contributed to this article.