Spite isn’t a sign of good government

The Nassau County Legislature is on the verge of repealing the controversial energy tax, which adds 2.5 percent to the cost of electricity, natural gas, home heating oil, propane and firewood. Most Republican candidates vowed during their election campaigns that they would eliminate this tax if they won.

With Republicans taking an 11-8 majority in the Legislature next month and with Ed Mangano set to take office as county executive, an energy tax repeal seemed like all but a done deal. But it may come even sooner than the GOP planned.

The full Legislature is scheduled to vote on repealing the tax on Monday, less than two weeks before the Democrats will lose their majority power. The bill, proposed by Demo-crats, made it through the Finance and Rules committees on Dec. 7.

The energy tax was implemented in June, with 10 Democratic legislators voting in favor of it and nine Republicans opposed. The measure also had the support of County Executive Tom Suozzi, who emphasized that it was needed to fill a significant gap in the budget.

The Democrats who now support a repeal of the tax say they are trying to hold the Republicans to their campaign promise, one that many believe put the GOP over the top in this election.

Throughout their own campaigns, most Democrats said the tax was a necessary evil that helped fill a financial void without cutting crucial services to residents. But without an answer to that budget deficit, those same Democrats all of a sudden are calling to repeal it? (Not all of them, apparently: Three noted Democratic members of the Rules Committee went against their colleagues and voted against the measure, which passed 5-3.)

Nobody likes new taxes, and there is a need to reduce the burden on Nassau County residents, who pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation. But we don’t think that repealing the tax on a whim is the right way to go.

The energy tax was expected to bring in about $40 million a year for Nassau County government. Democratic lawmakers have said the money is sorely needed because of record declines in sales tax revenue, which is a primary source of income for the county.