Town of Hempstead Supervisor Anthony Santino has proposed the removal of all members of the Industrial Development Agency board as a result of the big tax break approved for the Green Acres Mall.
Residents of Valley Stream came face to face with the Hempstead IDA Wednesday morning over its plan to force them to foot the bill for the mall tax break.
As News 12 Long Island has reported, the Hempstead IDA approved tax breaks for the mall. The agreement beginning in 2017 would have the mall pay about $14 million a year for the next 10 years, considerably less than the $18 million to $20 million it pays now. Valley Stream residents could see their tax bills go up anywhere from $300 to $750 a year.
Santino said he will call on the Hempstead Town Board to vote to fire all the members of the IDA at its Nov. 15 board meeting. He had previously announced plans to sue the IDA.
"I am truly outraged," says Santino. "The move will clear the way to replace the members of the IDA board with people who will be more accountable and responsive to taxpayers."
Santino, who was once a member of the Town Board, did not take any questions after delivering his statement Thursday.
Nassau Comptroller George Maragos says "the Supervisor must next take responsibility for the IDA mess."
Maragos says he can do that by reimbursing the Valley Stream taxpayers with money that's already in the town's budget as a contingency for judgments and settlements.
Nassau Legislator Carrie Solanges agrees.
"Tax bills are due. We need short-term relief, not a long-term plan," he says.
Under the Hempstead town code, the Town Board would require a majority vote in order to remove members of the IDA.
The IDA has hired what it calls an independent firm to review the economic impact of the PILOT program.
News 12 spoke to the vice president of that firm who said his preliminary findings show that the mall tax breaks did not lower the amount of revenue going to the school district.