Property taxes are "the number-one issue facing Nassau County residents," according to County Comptroller Howard Weitzman, who came to Wesley Church on December 14 to speak to Franklin Square seniors. In his talk, Comptroller Weitzman discussed the state of the county's finances, the causes of Long Island's high property taxes, and his recent report on the STAR school tax rebates, which showed that Nassau taxpayers received hundreds of dollars less than Westchester residents in similar school districts. In Franklin Square, the STAR rebate was $226.82, but in Elmsford, a comparable Westchester school district, homeowners received $367.29.

Nassau's financial turnaround since 2002 has been historic, Comptroller Weitzman said. In the previous decade the county nearly went bankrupt through mismanagement, despite a surging economy. "Now we are experiencing regular surpluses and balanced budgets," Weitzman said. "We have reduced the county's debt and its crushing backlog of property tax refunds. We put the hospital on the path to self-sufficiency. And we achieved 11 bond upgrades in four years, a record for any municipality in the U.S.

"How did we do it? Through conservative budgeting, smart management, reducing county payroll, negotiating smarter labor contracts and avoiding fiscal gimmicks. We were also able to get the state to cap our Medicaid costs and obtain relief on our pension contributions. What makes these results even more remarkable is that Nassau did it while not raising the county share of property tax for three consecutive years.

"So if Nassau is doing everything it can to contain costs, why are your taxes so high? There are a number of contributing factors. County taxes amount to about one-fifth of most people's property tax bills, but the county is only one of hundreds of governments in Nassau County. Each special district (e.g., water or sanitation), adds to your taxes. The state imposes mandates on local governments, raising costs. There is waste in government spending; my audits have uncovered savings opportunities in the tens of millions of dollars. Another factor is that Nassau is a mature suburb, i.e., its expenses rise every year, while, in the absence of new development, property tax income stays relatively flat.

"But the main reason property taxes are so high is school taxes -- nearly 60 percent of most homeowners' property taxes. And school taxes are higher than they should be because the state's education aid formula discriminates against Nassau County.

"We must urge our representatives in Albany to ensure that Nassau receives its fair share of school aid and STAR rebates. Nassau residents have the second highest property taxes in the state, but we receive the lowest proportion of school aid - even though our school spending is in line with other metro-area counties."

In early October, Comptroller Weitzman released a report comparing the recent STAR rebate checks distributed to homeowners in Nassau and Westchester counties. He found that Nassau residents received significantly lower rebates, with the difference in checks frequently $200 or more. And for seniors receiving Enhanced STAR, the difference was even greater.

"Our analysis of the STAR rebates showed that Nassau taxpayers were shortchanged by $64 million," the Comptroller said. "The unfairness in the rebates simply follows the unfairness in the overall STAR exemption formula. A comparison of Basic STAR savings for the 2006-2007 school year shows that Westchester residents received an average $1,840 STAR exemption and Nassau residents received $1,020, an 80 percent difference. Both the STAR formula and the state education aid formula are illogical and convoluted. Our taxpayers must demand a state aid formula that is transparent and meets the test of common sense."

The complete STAR report, as well as reports on state aid and many other issues affecting Nassau taxpayers, may be found at the Comptroller's Web site, http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/comptroller/index.html, or by calling 516-571-2677.