Both North Hempstead Town Receiver of Taxes Charles Berman, a Democrat, and his Republican challenger Scott Diamond said that educating residents on filing property assessment grievances are essential to the job, but their methods of informing the public differ.
“My outreach is specifically for explaining to people about property tax exemptions, all of the exemptions that are available to them under the law, and making sure that every one of our residents gets those exemptions that they are entitled to,” Berman said in an interview with Blank Slate Media. “The bigger program has to do with assessment and grievances, which I get far more people interested in coming to my outreach seminars to hear me speak.”
Diamond, who admitted to being an avid social media user, said he did not know that Berman was holding such programs.
“I never hear about them,” Diamond said in an interview with Blank Slate Media. “I would like to hold public forums and post it on social media through Facebook and Twitter.”
Berman, a Roslyn resident, said he has been speaking at public workshops during the January to March “grievance period” since he came into office in 2010, when he won a special election for a one-year term.
When he first came into office, Berman said, only 5,000 residents were receiving Enhanced STAR tax exemptions, a school tax relief program available for seniors over 65.
He said he knew that more people qualified for the program because the town had 65,000 residents and 22-23 percent were seniors.
“I created this seminar where I go to all of the libraries and senior groups and I meet with as many people as possible and I explain to them about the Enhance STAR and all the qualifications,” Berman said.
He added that the town now has 7,000 residences receiving the exemption, a number he said he credits to his office’s work explaining exemptions to residents.
Diamond, who admitted to having no property assessment experience, said he found issue with the current assessment system and wanted to change it should he be elected.
“Our idea is that the assessment should be individual,” he said. “Make it individual, a Town of North Hempstead assessment, a Town of Hempstead assessment, let’s localize the assessment.”
Property assessments are currently conducted by the county.
Berman said he wanted the assessment system changed because it “is totally broken and unfair and uneven.”
Diamond, who also works as an Auxiliary Police Officer in Mineola, said during campaigning residents had voiced concerns about the online payment of taxes and their issues with the online system.
Berman said that since 2010 his office had received only “a handful of complaints”, even though they are the second most called department at 311 with 25,000 inquiries per year.
He first served as the town’s Receiver of Taxes in 2003, when he succeeded Ann Galante, who stepped down to care for her ailing husband.
In 2004, Berman was appointed to serve as Assistant to the Chairman of the Nassau County Board of Assessors, where he served as the chairman’s liaison to all divisions within the department.
During his first term, Berman said, he credits his office with being the first to successfully negotiate a “lockbox.”
The “lockbox” allowed for the depositing of tax payments within 24 hours after being received resulting in increased interest income for the town which helped reduce tax levies, according to the Town of North Hempstead website.
Berman said it benefitted residents as well, more quickly informing them on delinquent tax payments.
“We reach out to everybody as fast as possible to let them know they’re delinquent and that they have a penalty,” he said. “If somebody’s in the dark, they can end up not paying it all and not knowing they owe the money.”
Berman’s current base salary is $115,000 per year.
Diamond’s political experience dates back to the late 1990s and early 2000s when he was a Democrat.
He interned for former state Sen. Vinnie Gentile and served on Hilary Clinton’s 2000 campaign for the United States Senate, when she defeated Republican Rick Lazio.
After switching parties, Diamond ran against state Assemblywoman Michele Schimel (D-16th District).
He said he was asked by a friend involved with the Republican party to run against Berman, was indecisive due to recent divorce, but believed he could help people.
Diamond said appealing to Democrats is a part of his path to winning the election.
“I have spoke with Democrats, a few in Manorhaven and Port Washington, and they expressed to me that they don’t like my opponent because he’s not very personal and not very friendly,” he said. “I have met him and think he’s very nice. But they say I seem to have an outgoing personality.”
He added that his presence both in person and online would benefit the community.
“I am going to be here. I am going to be vocal in the community and the town. I will be reachable by email, Facebook, Twitter, contact me through social media. I will answer your questions in 24 hours. I will hold public forums throughout the town. If you have issues, come talk to me,” he said. “I’m not going to close the door on your face, and I’m not saying Berman does that. I am going to be out there and show you why this is why I earned it. I am going to be there to work for you and make things more feasible and more open.”
Berman, who currently collects 98 percent of the town’s taxes, said he should be re-elected because of his background and experience in office.
“I have the background, experience, and expertise to run this department and run this office. My goal is to always, and I stress this with my staff, get up and help people,” he said. “I feel like I am meeting the mission. I see a lot of unfairness in the system and misinformation, and I will have, as an elected official, at least a voice on what I think are the changes we need to make our assessment system fairer to all of our property owners.
