This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Mangano Lie of the Day: October 21, 2013

PRESS RELEASE
BY: CAMPAIGN FOR TOM SUOZZI FOR COUNTY EXECUTIVE

Each day until Election Day, the Suozzi campaign will expose another lie coming from Nassau County Ed Mangano’s Administration. Here is today’s installment:

In his newest television commercial, Ed Mangano tells another outright lie about the role played by school districts in Nassau County’s skyrocketing school tax rates. In his commercial, he claims, "So if school taxes are higher, its because school districts are spending and taxing more, and Suozzi knows it.”

Mangano's first lie? That school taxes are higher because of the school districts. School taxes are higher because of Mangano’s mismanagement of the assessment system.

While Nassau school districts have stuck to the state tax cap and held spending increases to 2.9% this year, school tax rates have skyrocketed due to Mangano’s mismanagement of the county assessment system.  Ed Mangano’s own property taxes have gone up 24% or $2,800 in the past 2 years.  But don’t take our word for it.

In a letter written to Mangano yesterday, Herricks School Board President James Gounaris said that the responsibility for school taxes hikes was “completely, unequivocally the responsibility of the county.”

On October 9th, Plainview-Old Bethpage Superintendent Lorna Lewis sent an email blasting the Mangano administration, stating "Nassau County is shifting an ever growing tax burden onto homeowners while claiming they are not raising taxes. It's time for the county to stop blaming the schools and take responsibility for fixing the broken tax assessment system."

Anton columnist Michael Miller wrote, “When a county executive interferes and artificially freezes assessed values and has assessment officials hand out reductions in 87% of appeals the tax base is eroded.  Final rates must rise to balance budgets, property wealth ratios are skewed and the integrity of the entire system crumbles.”

“School officials and independent observers from across Nassau County validate the fact that Ed Mangano is telling yet another bold faced lie to residents,” said Suozzi Campaign Spokesman Jeff Guillot. “His complete mismanagement of the county assessment system has led to ‘The Mangano Tax’- an unacceptable and egregious 20% tax increase on residents. With Mangano, all we get are more lies.”

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?