Last week residents across Nassau County received their first property reassessment in eight years—and sticker shock doesn’t even begin to describe the prevailing sentiment among taxpayers.
For many residents, the reassessment has doubled property values and while that sounds like a good thing, double the valuation means a hefty increase in property taxes for most. County Executive Laura Curran says the reassessment is a tough—but necessary—pill to swallow, as the county has been hemorrhaging money due to previous, “inaccurate” assessments.
And while Curran said that she will ask the state to allow a five-year phase-in of the new tax assessments, some Nassau County leaders are saying many residents living in the already expensive county may very well jump ship and move on to a less taxing living arrangement. And really, who can blame anyone for wanted to get out of this county and off this island? Sure, we have great beaches and lots of dining options—but what good is all that when property taxes are siphoning money from our pockets at an ever-increasing pace?
Many Long Islanders live here because this is where our families put down their roots. We didn’t move into Nassau County because we are wealthy aristocrats with an endless supply cash earmarked for the county. Instead, many of us were born into this—born into a county with elected officials who freely admit that it is “hemorrhaging money” but can think of no other solution than to pull money from residents via a tax reassessment on property values.
But fret not, dear taxpayer, as the county has cheerfully announced that it will answer all of your burning assessment questions at brand new mobile offices set up across the county. I’ve got two questions for them right off the top of my head: “Who do you think you are?” and “How dare you?”
—Steve Mosco
