Residents of five Nassau villages were overcharged hundreds of dollars in sewer taxes last year, according to County Executive Laura Curran. 

"We knew we were inheriting a mess," Curran says. 

Last year's budget included a .08 percent sewer tax increase on all Nassau homeowners. But an accounting error placed the entire $9.3 million tax burden onto residents of Rockville Centre, Hempstead, Freeport, Garden City and Mineola. 

So those residents were charged about 75 percent more than they should have been, and the rest of the county underpaid.

"In 2018, I paid $374," in sewer taxes, says Chris Squeri, of Freeport. That's $164 more than the year before.

But he says he had no idea he'd been overcharged until the mayor called him to let him know.

"If Mayor (Robert) Kennedy didn't see the mistake, would anyone would have noticed it?" he wonders. "The main thing is it teaches me a lesson. I have to keep an eye on what I'm being billed for."

Curran has proposed legislation to adjust the tax bills and issue refunds to people who have already paid their taxes in part or in full.