Nassau residents fear county tax hike

A projected $142 million budget deficit for 2008 has residents fearing a hike in county property taxes. Garden City resident Lee Zwicke's county property taxes haven't been raised in four years, and

News 12 Staff

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Jun 11, 2007, 10:18 PM

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Updated 6,427 days ago

A projected $142 million budget deficit for 2008 has residents fearing a hike in county property taxes.

Garden City resident Lee Zwicke's county property taxes haven't been raised in four years, and she hopes it stays that way.

"Well, if they want to hear an old lady scream, they'll raise property taxes," Zwicke said. "But I hope they don't do that."

Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi said his track record speaks for itself. In 2006, the executive turned a projected $460 million deficit into a $45 million surplus, Suozzi's office said.

Legislators admit raising taxes in an election year is politically dangerous.

"We certainly would like not to have to raise taxes this year, so we're going to do what we have to do not to," Legis. Lisanne Altmann (D - Great Neck) said.

Eric Naughton, director of the Legislature's Budget Review Office, said there's more work to be done in order to avoid a tax hike.

"From what has been proposed so far from the county exec, we see many items that are at risk," Naughton said. "We feel there's about $60 million of that 142 that still needs to be addressed."

To watch the extended interview with Legis. Lisanne Altmann about the Nassau budget, go to channel 612 on your iO digital cable box and select iO Extra.