Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi has been appointed by New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer to head a new commission that will seek to investigate the driving force behind escalating property taxes. At the Mineola Chamber of Commerce meeting last week, Suozzi told business owners that he would seek a cap on school taxes.

"Property taxes here are outrageously high. People cannot take it anymore. They are being crushed by the property tax burden," Suozzi said. "New York State has the highest local taxes in America."

Suozzi said among the reasons taxes are so high is that there are unfunded state mandates placed on local municipalities and school districts and Nassau taxpayers are sending more up to Albany than they are getting back when it comes to school aid. "A lot of people are house rich and income poor," he said. "We get shortchanged in school aid because we are perceived as being this enormously wealthy place."

Governor Eliot Spitzer recently appointed Suozzi as chairman to a commission to propose a solution to cap school taxes in New York State. "It's a very controversial thing to do and it has to be done in a way that makes sense for the school districts as part of the process, but we have to do something because we're getting crushed by these property taxes," Suozzi said.

The county executive said he wants to make a proposal in May or June on how to cap school taxes. School taxes, according to Suozzi, are 60 to 65 percent of a taxpayer's property tax bill.

Suozzi said in addition to seeking a cap on school taxes, he would also be seeking state law changes to relieve the school districts of some of the mandates placed on them.

The Mineola School District's budget for the 2007-2008 school year amounts to $75,664,471, a 5.46 percent increase in spending from the 2006-2007 school year. Of the 2007-2008 budget, according to the district's educational plan and budget for this year, 78.71 percent are salaries and benefits that are mandated contractually between the board of education and the various unions within the district.

"Why not have a regional contract for the entire Long Island? You see these battles taking place in these local communities," said Suozzi.