The Big Lie

GOP Proposal To "freeze" Assessment Won't "Hold Line" On Taxes

To say that freezing the Assessment, as suggested by the Nassau County Legislature's Minority Leader, Peter Schmitt -- and adopted by our sitting Legislator, Vincent Muscarella -- will lower taxes, not only defies credulity and reason, it is simply not true.

Take a look at the change in the County's General Purposes Tax Levy from 2006 to 2007, as well as the change in TAX RATES, during a time when the assessed values of homes in Nassau County was relatively stable.

2006 Levy: $35,641,318.61 Tax Rate per $100 in Taxable Assessed Value: 6.092

2007 Levy: $55,008,646.00 Tax Rate per $100 in Taxable Assessed Value: 18.965

IT'S NOT THE ASSESSMENT, IT'S THE TAX RATE!

Assuming the Assessment was not only "frozen," but actually lowered, the revenues necessary to operate the county, towns, school districts and special districts would not likely decrease. In fact, year to year, financial "need," all things considered and few things changed, will likely increase.

Assessment goes down -- Tax Rate (and your taxes) GO UP!

And who, dare we ask, changes the Tax Rates? In Nassau County, its the Legislature!

Are the Peter Schmitts and Vincent Muscarellas delusional, or do they really think that taxpayers are that dumb?

"The only ways to lower property taxes," says Michael Uhl, "legitimately, are to cut costs, trim expenses, eliminate waste, and consolidate duplicated services. A 'freeze' as a tool to 'hold the line' on taxes is a farce; a rouse that harkens back to the smoke-and-mirrors of the Gulotta Administration, where they took money out of one pocket to make believe the other pocket was full."

Hmm. The Gulotta administration. And who, back in that day, was in the Majority on the County Legislature, rubber-stamping the Gulotta Budgets? Why, Vincent Muscarella, of course.

Isn't it time we stopped paying through the nose for government's excesses? Michael Uhl says its time. On November 6th, tell them you've had enough!