Resources
If it was our goal to detail all of the fraud and waste perpetuated by Special Taxing Districts in Nassau and Suffolk County, this document would be vast, detailed, and not very user friendly.
However, there are numerous sources that will help those interested in learning more about Special Taxing District waste, fraud and abuse that are accessible to citizens who are interested in learning more.
ReformNYGov.com: Is the Attorney General’s “Citizen’s guide to consolidation” which served as the partial inspiration for this document. It is a broader version of this piece and serves as perfect, and necessary supplementary reading for any person or group interested in Special Taxing District reform.
New York State “Freedom of Information Law” (FOIL): By law, citizens can gain access to documents from state and government agencies by filing a FOIL request. Oftentimes, this is essential in the efforts to ascertain whether the consolidation of a district will be cost effective or not.
Fixmypropertytaxes.com: The homepage of the Nassau County Government Efficiency Project provides a comprehensive definition of Special Taxing Districts, links to “20 Horrors of Special Taxing Districts”, and a full listing of media clips pertaining to Special Taxing District reform.
Sunlightny.com: Or, “Project Sunlight” is a service of provided by the New York State Attorney General’s Office, is a fantastic resource. It provides user-friendly search engines that empower citizens to follow the trail of campaign contributions given by Special District commissioners to elected officials, Special Districts hiring Albany lobbyists with taxpayer funds, and even Special Districts receiving member items from state legislators. Much of this research has been done already, so please contact the LIPC if you’d like to learn more.
RESD.Info: The official website of Residents for Efficiency Special Districts (RESD), it provides more information and resources on how to read a tax bill, and provides many of the Special District tax rate comparisons that were mentioned earlier in this document.
LongIslandIndex.org: A nonpartisan organization’s website that provides the most detailed interactive maps of local government entities available anywhere.
Please see Appendix B: “The Best of” consolidation media clips.
