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Resident asks board to reconcile last year’s millage surplus; board points to oversight and online records
Summary
Sherish Desai urged the Nassau County School Board to reconcile a reported $13 million surplus from last year’s millage increase and asked why her tax bill rose; staff and board members said taxable-value increases and earmarked spending explain differences and offered oversight committee reports and online access.
Sherish Desai, a resident who gave her address for the record, told the Nassau County School Board that after last year’s millage approval the district reported a surplus of about $13 million and yet her tax bill showed a dollar increase. "I got my trim notice a couple of weeks ago, and I was surprised to see dollar wise increase," Desai said, asking for a reconciliation of the surplus and the millage increase.
Board members and staff responded that increases in property taxable values — which staff said rose about 18% last year — increased revenue beyond the original estimate, and that voter-approved 1 mill was designated for salaries, arts, athletics and safety. "That amount of money that was collected on that 1 mill was distributed to those areas," Doctor Burns said, noting the funds were spent as advertised when placed on the ballot.
Officials said the millage oversight committee is preparing a report and aims to present it at the Oct. 24 board meeting; staff also offered to show Desai how to access detailed spending information on the district website and identified Mister Durham as a staff contact to assist her.
Desai pressed for clarity on dollar totals and reconciliation; at the meeting staff committed to providing documentation and a timeline for the oversight committee report but did not provide an immediate, line-item reconciliation in the hearing.
Ending: Staff and the oversight committee will provide written documentation and present the oversight report at the Oct. 24 board meeting; public records and website postings were offered as the primary route for citizen review.
