Opponent of Tax Lawsuits Named to LIPA Board

Wall Street executive Ali Mohammed has been appointed to the Long Island Power Authority board.

 “One of my first priorities as a LIPA trustee will be to end LIPA’s practice of reckless tax certiorari lawsuits against communities and school districts,” Mohammed said. “LIPA must immediately cease all litigation. I will work to modernize a board so desperately in need of good governance reforms to ensure LIPA finally starts serving ratepayers best interests. The time has come and gone for LIPA to behave as a responsible corporate neighbor and I look forward to bring an unequivocally ethical and honest voice to the Board.”

Mohammed was appointed by the State Senate. He brings more than 20 years of experience working in senior leadership roles for major organizations and will be the first Muslim-American to serve on the LIPA Board.

LIPA is seeking a massive cut in its property taxes, insisting that the Town of Huntington has overassessed the plant for years, saying that plant is worth about $198 million, while the town assesses it at $ 3.4 billion.

LIPA first filed the challenged to Huntington’s assessment nine years ago, and it has previously settled with Brookhaven in a similar, though smaller, case. The case will return to court at the end of July. If LIPA wins its case, the Northport-East Northport school district is expected to be especially hard hit.

Sen. Jim Gaughran said, “One of my top priorities as a state senator has been to hold LIPA accountable and protect taxpayers. For too long LIPA has been a runaway authority, accountable to no one but themselves. Ali Mohammed will be the voice that Long Islanders desperately need; he will fight to end the reckless tax certiorari challenges, will bring good governance reforms to the board, and will force LIPA to act as a responsible, corporate actor. Thank you Leader Stewart-Cousins for prioritizing Long Island taxpayers first.”

“I am proud to appoint Ali Mohammed to the Long Island Power Authority Board,” Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said. “Mr. Mohammed’s expertise in transforming organizations will help usher in a new ‘green era’ for LIPA, while at the same time fighting to support ratepayers. Ali Mohammed becomes the first Muslim-American to serve on the LIPA Board and I thank him for stepping up to serve Long Island residents.”

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