Recently newspaper headlines in Nassau County have focused largely on the mass rounds of government employee pay cuts and firings. According to the County, the blame for these pay cuts and firings is a $300 million budget deficit.
I understand that expenses have to be cut. However, this layoff scenario in the County Attorney’s Certiorari Department, Assessment Review Commission and Treasurer’s Department is a classic “kick the can down the road” to the next administration. Who will suffer? Certainly, anyone entitled to a tax assessment reduction/refund might not have the wherewithal to wait for relief. Try and tell the mortgage company or the tax receiver “I expect to get an assessment reduction and refund, my attorney settled the case. However, it will be several years until I receive my refund. Can you wait?”
The failure of the Nassau County Legislature and Administration to work with NIFA in accepting over $100 million dollars in bonds to pay off the judgments ordering real estate tax refunds is not only disgraceful, it makes very little sense. Why would the County not want to payoff these interest earning judgments as soon as possible? The slower the real estate tax refund process is, the higher will be the ultimate payout because of the interest accrued. Wouldn’t the County rather spend their money some other way than just paying off interest due? Doesn’t the tax payer deserve their refund immediately?
