Curran budget director admits property tax increase this year

 

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran has been adamant as she campaigns for re-election that she did not raise taxes.

" I want to be very clear, Nassau County did not raise property taxes. Since I took office three years ago, I have never once approved any property tax hikes," Curran, a Democrat, said at a news briefing Thursday about the coronavirus.

Even though county financial watchdogs have reported separately that the Curran administration increased property taxes by 3.5 percent in the Nassau sewer fund, Curran put out a taxpayer-funded mailing to county residents this weekend insisting that Nassau County DID NOT RAISE TAXES.

But Nassau budget director Andy Persich admitted at a public hearing on the budget last week that there was a property tax increase in this year's budget -- in the sewer fund.

According to a video of the hearing, (see above)  Legis. John Ferretti (R-Levittown) focuses on Curran's claim that there had been no property tax increase in her 2021 budget.

"Isn't it true that the tax levy was increased over $9 million in 2021 in the sewer fund and the general fund? Isn't that true?"

Persich replied, "The five major operating funds did not contain a property tax increase. The sewer district did have an increase in its services to provide for the sewer district."

Ferretti continued, "How do you pay for sewer taxes? Is it through your property taxes?"

Persich acknowledged, "It's through your property taxes."

"So when you say there is no property tax increase, that's not exactly true," Ferretti said.

Persich said, "In the five major operating funds, that's true."

Ohhhh. So there was a property tax increase -- just not in the "five major operating funds."

But nowhere in Curran's budget or in her public statements or in her mailing does she qualify or limit her claim of no tax increase. A 3.5 percent increase in the sewer property tax levy of $5.2 million may not be much, but it is a tax increase.

Remember, her mailing is headlined in red: "Nassau County DID NOT RAISE TAXES."

Ferretti complained to Persich that the administration ended 2020 with a $75 million surplus which should have been spent to assist people struggling with the pandemic and also is claiming no property tax increase.

 "Let's be honest with the people," Ferretti said.

Ferretti posted on his Facebook page a video of Persich's testimony at the legislature's budget hearing.