Serving Williston Park, East Williston, Mineola, Albertson and Searingtown
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Friday, October 1, 2021
Vol. 70, No. 40
HOME & DESIGN
HOWARD WEITZMAN, EX-COMPTROLLER, DIES
CURRAN GETS POLICE UNION BACKING
PAGES 31-42
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Mineola district mismanaged finances: audit
SERVE’S UP
State comptroller finds budget surplus exceeded limit resulting in higher taxes BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y The Mineola school district maintained excessive budget surpluses over four years, an audit by the state comptroller’s office has found. “The Board and District officials did not effectively manage the District’s financial condition,” said the comptroller’s report. “As a result, more taxes were levied than were needed to fund operations.” The audit, released Sept. 3, was conducted by the office of state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and covered the period from July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2020. For that period, it said, the surplus was $20.7 million. The maximum surplus allowed is 4 percent, but the Mineola school district’s surplus, or appropriated fund balance, reached 13 percent, according to the audit. The audit said the school
board did not adjust the ensuing years’ budgets based on results in the previous years. Recommendations from the state comptroller’s office included adopting budgets with reasonable estimates based on trends, analysis and other factors. In response to the audit, School Superintendent Michael Nagler addressed each concern and recommendation presented in the 13-page document, generally agreeing with the findings and suggestions. The school district’s response said in part, “There are numerous contingencies that can and do result in a tax levy spike. The District believes it is prudent to provide for possible contingencies within the adopted budget in order to protect District operations, and to protect the District taxpayers from unnecessary spikes in tax rates.” Continued on Page 58
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WHEATLEY SCHOOL
On Monday, Sept. 13, the Wheatley School girls tennis team took on Garden City in a league match.
Pusateri touts skills as an advocate for causes BY R OB E RT PELAEZ Christine Pusateri, a speech pathologist and aspiring Town of North Hempstead councilwoman, said she
aims to serve the community at large while expanding services for people with disabilities. Pusateri, a Williston Park resident, has spent three decades advocating for the
town’s most vulnerable residents, including her son. Speaking with elected officials, collecting information and seeing what people’s needs are led her to run. Continued on Page 59
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