Community Rallies to Mitigate Tax Impact of Glenwood Landing Power Plant Decommissioning

Long Island Lighting Company President Doebler, right, with a worker at the Glenwood Landing Power Station, January 18, 1954. From the Gottscho-Schleisner Collection, courtesy of The Library of Congress.

Decommissioning of a significant amount of utility equipment, primarily in the Town of North Hempstead portion of the Glenwood Landing Waterfront, is apparently imminent, with devastating tax implications for residents of the North Shore School District.

The school district currently receives more than $14 million in taxes from utility properties.

At a meeting last August with Glen Head / Glenwood Civic Council Board Members, New York State Senator Carl Marcellino said he would introduce a bill requiring that the tax cut associated with decommissioning be phased in gradually over 10 years. The cut reduces the tax burden on the utility properties and increases it on residential properties.

Senator Marcellino introduced the bill (S5872-2011) on August 17. It was referred to the rules committee upon introduction and to the local government committee on January 4. On March 16 of this year Michele Schimel and William Boyland introduced a corresponding bill in the Assembly (A9577-2011) cosponsored by Mike Montesano, Ellen Jaffee, Andrew Raia, Peter Rivera, and Samuel Roberts; it was referred to real property taxation.

Information about the New York State Legislature, including bills under consideration, can be found at the New York State Government Locator Service.

North Shore School District Works to Reduce Tax Impact

According to the Legislative Action Committee appointed by the North Shore School District School Board, the phase-in, along with payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs),  will help mitigate the crushing effect that an abrupt termination of of utility tax revenue would have on residents. 

The Legislative Action Committee has prepared suggested letters for North Shore School District residents to send to New York State Senators Carol Marcellino and Jack Martens and Assemblymen Charles Lavine and Mike Montesano, the state legislators who represent North Shore School District communities (Glen Head, Glenwood Landing, Sea Cliff, and part of Greenvale, Brookville, and Roslyn Harbor).

Just print the document, which contains four separate letters; sign and date each letter; insert each letter into an envelope addressed to the appropriate elected official; and mail. According to North Shore School District School Board President Carolyn Genovesi, more than 1,000 letters have been generated so far. But more are needed.

"It is imperative that state representatives hear from more constituents in the next few weeks if we want them to enact legislation that can deliver timely relief," Ms. Genovesi said in a recent email message sent to community groups. "Our state representatives are the only ones who have have the power and ability to relieve the immediate tax burden that will result from the partial decommissioning of the LIPA plant."

In March, as the first round of letters flooded the capitol, members of the school board visited Albany to make the case for the phase-in. And in January, Ms. Genovesi testified at a joint New York State Legislature Fiscal Committee budget hearing.