(Editor's Note: The following letter is Nassau County Comptroller Howard Weitzman's response to the letter "Elimination of Special Districts Would Effect HFD Protection, Service," which was submitted by the Board of the Hicksville Fire District and featured in the May 25, 2007 issue of the Hicksville Illustrated News. It is being printed here at Weitzman's request.)

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to respond to your recent communication to residents of the Hicksville Fire District and for offering to circulate my response to your residents.

The tone of your letter suggests that the board of the Hicksville Fire District is seeking to rally the community to oppose an alleged effort by myself, County Executive Tom Suozzi, Governor Eliot Spitzer, Newsday and various other unnamed co-conspirators, to eliminate or consolidate local fire districts, including Hicksville's. Let me set the record straight - this is a false alarm.

I strongly support our local fire districts and have never called for their elimination or consolidation. The mission of the State's Commission on Local Government Efficiency, on which I serve, is not the elimination or consolidation of all special districts in the state, but rather to identify opportunities for savings among New York State's more than 4,200 taxing districts that could result in lower property taxes for state residents.

During my office's multi-year study of special districts we have learned that each category of district (fire, school, garbage, water, sanitation, etc.) needs to be looked at separately. In some cases, e.g., garbage collection, a strong case can be made for town control. In other cases, such as fire and school districts, other approaches make more sense, for example the suggestions I made in my report on cost-saving opportunities (Dec. 13, 2006). That report proposed that districts work with their town government on joint procurement of common items like insurance, supplies and professional services.

With respect to ambulance services, I have long advocated the enhancement and expansion of the Nassau County EMS service to ensure its availability to any community or voluntary EMS service that requires such backup. This decision would be made at the local level, based on the availability of EMS volunteers in a given fire district, not by the county.

The commission is just beginning its work but has already begun to generate many worthwhile ideas. I hope everyone on Long Island, and throughout the state, will offer their support and their ideas to help us achieve our commonly held goal of making local government work more efficiently and reducing New York's (and our county's) onerous property tax burden. I look forward to continuing this dialogue with you at the commission's Long Island Public Hearing to be held July 25 or in person at one of your board meetings.

Howard Weitzman

Nassau County Comptroller