Ideas to help lower Long Island property taxes

So residents are complaining about how high Long Island property taxes are “Facing LI’s extreme tax burden,” News, Aug. 2].

Tough luck, fellow residents. We had a chance six years ago to hold the every-20-years state constitutional convention to alter our pension plans, and we sat on our hands and did nothing.

Almost 72% of my property taxes goes to pay the police and school taxes. A huge portion of those funds covers their extremely high pensions and the forever-life medical coverage.

A police officer who puts in 20 years can retire in his 40s and collect a pension for more than 30 years, nearly twice as long as he worked, while we have to pay for it all. Remember that uniformed and teacher pensioners do not pay state income taxes. They get a break all the way.

To make financial changes, things need to be done. Eliminate defined benefit pension plans and replace them with 401(k)s to be funded by the county or state by adding 10% to 15% above the salary into the plan. After 20 years, that would become a large sum and would not be funded after retirement.

So we have a choice: Do nothing and continue to moan or do something to make Long Island affordable by lowering property taxes.

— Bob Cavaliere, Port Jefferson Station

A retiree suggested consolidating school districts. I suggested the same thing for decades while I lived in Westbury for 38 years. I moved to North Carolina 16 years ago and live in a county whose population isn’t that much smaller than Nassau County’s, and we have only one school district.

If Long Island concentrated school districts — one in Nassau and one in Suffolk County — it would eliminate almost all the high superintendents’ salaries in the 124 school districts and consolidate the purchase of books and supplies, which also would save money.

Both county executives should consider this way to help Long Islanders with their property taxes.

— Dennis Grossi, Mint Hill, North Carolina