North Hempstead Councilmember Veronica Lurvey and Flower Hill Trustee Mary Jo Collins debated Thursday night in their pursuit to be elected as the town’s receiver of taxes, proposing their ideas to help residents understand the tax process and better the functionality of the position.
Lurvey, a nearly five-year council member for the Town of North Hempstead, said she has worked to listen to and address the concerns of her District 4 constituents. She said she is unable to run for re-election because the newly drawn district maps now exclude her from the district she has represented.
But she said there is still work to be done in the Town.
Lurvey previously was a project finance attorney for the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom for 13 years. She said she worked on global, high-profile, corporate finance transactions involving more than $15 billion during this time.
“I was accountable for every penny and I will continue to be so as your receiver of taxes,” Lurvey said.
She said what distinguishes her from Collins is her legal expertise, which reinforces the legal knowledge required for the receiver of taxes.
“A lot of what the receiver of taxes does is rooted in law,” Lurvey said. “It’s rooted in very complicated, legal provisions that have to be interpreted.”
She said she would apply the skills she has learned in governance to the position of the receiver of taxes “to maintain the highest level of responsiveness and accountability.”
“And perhaps most importantly to keep your tax dollars safe,” Lurvey said.
Collins worked on Wall Street for 40 years, retiring from her career in December. She is currently an independent trustee for a financial services firm where she serves as a watchdog for shareholders.
“My roles in sales, trading and management gave me valuable knowledge of risk management and credit analysis – two skills that will serve me well as a receiver of taxes,” Collins said.
She said her work experience has equipped her to take on the receiver of taxes role from a business perspective and be mindful of managing taxpayer money.
Collins said the four important issues she would focus on if elected are working alongside Supervisor Jennifer DeSena and the Town Board to cut taxes, make paying taxes more convenient, present tax-reducing seminars for residents and improve communication.
The two candidates debated at a forum held by the League of Women Voters Port Washington-Manhasset, where individuals could submit questions for them to answer.
Lurvey said there are areas in which the receiver of taxes can be more visible to residents, while the receiver of taxes needs to collaborate with the community on tax education.
She said she would make the position more accessible by upgrading technology to make taxes payable through a phone app, as well as extending office hours to meet with residents.
“It’s imperative that the receiver of taxes goes out into the community to provide workshops, to provide education and to make all of this information more accessible,” Lurvey said.
She also suggested mobile tax collection units to visit neighborhoods as well as diverse language access.
Collins agreed that extended office hours, expanding payment options and mobile offices are beneficial, but that these actions all cost money and require budget oversight. Collins said she would look for administrative efficiencies and upgrade communications.
She said that while increasing online payment options is a good initiative, there still needs to be attention paid to residents who do not utilize online services.
“When you visit the multiple senior citizen groups that we have in the Town of North Hempstead, they’re not all online,” Collins said. “How do we go out to help some of them that aren’t and how do we improve our communication with that constituency?”
Collins said the current Town Board operates dysfunctionally, but if elected she would work alongside the supervisor and board.
“Currently the town party faction fighting gets in the way of progress,” Collins said. “I don’t, as I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, I don’t let process paralyze me. I move through it constructively.”
Lurvey said the residents deserve better than the dysfunctionality of the town. She said a conscious effort to foster collaboration and inclusion is not prevalent under the current supervisor’s administration.
Collins challenged Lurvey’s willingness to engage in collaborative work, referencing her recent press conference in which she called for an investigation into DeSena’s hiring and paying of an attorney who she designated as the hearing officer in a harassment case involving a senior staff member in her office.
“I don’t think that someone who holds a press conference to question something the supervisor is well within her rights to do is necessarily the best way to handle an issue,” Collins said. “And I would like to think that I’m able to reach out to people.”
Lurvey said this action was necessary to serve as a watchdog and hold those responsible for illegal actions accountable.
Collins said partisanship did not influence her running for the position, but her qualifications, experience and ability to work with others did.
Lurvey questioned Collin’s statement that she is not partisan, bringing up Collins’ statement made at the debate that she has not sought out guidance from the current receiver of taxes, who is a Democrat, but has consulted Republicans.
“This is a prime example of how partisanship gets in the way of good results,” Lurvey said.
Lurvey said she has consulted Receiver of Taxes Charles Berman for advice, who has endorsed her in the race.
Collins said that if she were to be elected, she would devote herself to the role to expand the office and make it better.
“I envision going into a role, giving it 110% or more and the reality is that when I leave that office or leave that role, it’s going to be in a better place than how I found it,” Collins said.
Residents of the Town of North Hempstead can vote for receiver of taxes on Nov. 7 at their assigned polling location. Early voting will be held from Oct. 28-Nov. 5 at various locations and times.
