MINEOLA, NY (TIP): Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D – Glen Cove), in a letter to Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, demanded that before a Settlement with LIPA regarding Glenwood Landing is finalized, the County Executive should meet the Legislator and  “the leaders of the North Shore School District for a full briefing on the terms of the proposed settlement and the anticipated impact upon taxpayers in the North Shore School District”. “As a fiduciary of Nassau County and the elected representative of the communities that will be most directly impacted by the terms of this settlement, I am deeply troubled by your administration’s lack of direct communication related to this matter. The residents of my district – and the North Shore School District in particular – are faced with a potentially dramatic increase in their property taxes, and they deserve ample time – and more importantly, adequate information – to prepare for this shift and ameliorate the impact wherever possible”, the Legislator wrote.

Here is the text of the letter.

March 16, 2022

Hon. Bruce Blakeman, Nassau County Executive

1550 Franklin Avenue

Mineola, N.Y. 11501

RE: Settlement with LIPA regarding Glenwood Landing

Dear County Executive Blakeman:

I am writing regarding the status of settlement negotiations related to the LIPA lawsuits challenging the County’s tax assessments of the Glenwood Landing power station – a property situated in the 11th Legislative District.

Based upon published reports, it is my understanding that Nassau County is in “the final stages of negotiating an agreement with LIPA to settle property-tax challenges over two National Grid-owned power stations.” Upon learning of the status of this settlement through the media, I have reached out to your administration with hopes of securing a status update. Thus far, those efforts have been unavailing. As a result, key community stakeholders, most notably the North Shore School District, have been left completely in the dark as to even the most basic terms of the proposed settlement.

As a fiduciary of Nassau County and the elected representative of the communities that will be most directly impacted by the terms of this settlement, I am deeply troubled by your administration’s lack of direct communication related to this matter. The residents of my district – and the North Shore School District in particular – are faced with a potentially dramatic increase in their property taxes, and they deserve ample time – and more importantly, adequate information – to prepare for this shift and ameliorate the impact wherever possible.

Before any agreement is finalized, I urge you to meet with me and the leaders of the North Shore School District for a full briefing on the terms of the proposed settlement and the anticipated impact upon taxpayers in the North Shore School District.

Sincerely,

Delia DeRiggi-Whitton

Nassau County Legislator

11th Legislative District