This is in response to Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray's article (May 6) regarding Assessor Harvey Levinson's proposals for change in how school and property taxes are collected.

Murray dubbed Levinson's initiatives as a "Recipe for Fiscal Chaos." Fiscal chaos already exists for thousands of homeowners faced with the highest school and property taxes in the country. One of Levinson's proposals is to consolidate Hempstead's Sanitary Districts so that all pay the same taxes for garbage collection. What is wrong with that? There are some 400 taxing jurisdictions that impose some 1,600 widely varied tax rates in Nassau County. Certainly, if a concerted effort were made to consolidate the existing Sanitary Districts as well as others, taxpayers would benefit from reducing a bloated system.

Levinson has hit the nail on the head when he states that "residents in Nassau County are being taxed out of their homes." One need only walk through some of the areas' streets to see popping up for sale and store for rent signs.

Levinson is a trailblazer for change. His advanced ideas need to be explored, discussed and debated. Solutions to lessen the burden of high taxation need to be the concern of all our legislators.

Katherine Aliferis