On Election Day, Nassau County voters can "take the politics out of tax assessment" by voting "Yes" on Proposition #2.

County Proposition No. 2 will reform, streamline and professionalize Nassau County's complicated tax assessment system.

The Proposition has been endorsed by a number of leading bipartisan governmental commissions, studies and public officials.

Nassau County is one of the few municipalities in the state that politicizes its tax assessor's office by electing rather than appointing the tax assessor. Almost 85 percent of New York State local governments appoint professional assessors rather than elect political ones. Nassau is the only county government in the state that still elects the tax assessor.

If passed by the voters next week, Proposition No. 2 would streamline the Department of Assessment by "abolishing the present Board of Assessors" and would make the County Assessor an "appointed rather than an elected position."

There would be strict educational and professional requirements for any appointment. The appointee must have certain important credentials and must meet certain state certification standards. And, the appointment would be subject to a public confirmation process to be held by the Nassau County Legislature.

The New York State Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness, chaired by former Lieutenant Governor Stan Lundine, recommended "the elimination of the office of elected assessor." The commission found that the position is "not policy making" and would "be better handled through an appointive process."

The New York State Office of Real Property Services in a letter to the County Legislature emphasized the importance of appointment by saying that "the role of the assessor is not to pass judgment on policy questions; it is to value property and to apply exemption status. These tasks require technical competence, not political aptitude. For the judgment calls that assessors make, the driving considerations must be the facts and the law, not the polls."

Nassau County's Comptroller, Howard Weitzman, a member of the Commission, in support of the Proposition, said that "this move takes politics out of offices that make no policy decisions affecting the people." He added that "this proposal would allow for professionals to be appointed."

Nassau County Legislator Wayne Wink, a prime sponsor of the proposal, said quite bluntly, "hey, elections are politics, and it's conceivable that both major parties could put up inexperienced candidates for the post...We want professionals in this job."

I hope you will join me on Election Day and vote "Yes" on Proposition #2 to take the politics out of tax assessment.