Rockland County Legislature Prepares For Detailed 2017 Budget Review

NEW CITY, NY – The Rockland County Legislature is prepared to conduct a detailed and diligent review of the County Executive’s Proposed 2017 County Budget.

The 17-member board will meet in a special Committee of the Whole at 7 p.m. Wednesday to provide the Finance Commissioner and the County Executive’s Office with an opportunity to present the specifics of the spending plan, officials said.

“We are committed to conducting a detailed review of the proposed budget to ensure it meets the needs of everyone – from taxpayers to our neighbors who rely on vital services,” Legislature Chairman Alden H. Wolfe said, in a statement outlining the procedure. “We will continue to address the deficit and to engage in conservative budget practices to further the hard work we have been doing so that we can remain a viable and vibrant place to live and to work."

Legislator Michael Grant, Chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, said in the statement that the Legislature has prepared for the arrival of the proposed budget.

“We have initiated a schedule of review that will allow the kind of scrutiny that is necessary to ensure a proper budget,” Grant said. “That means a 2017 plan that is properly balanced with our best estimates for both revenues and expenditures. Ideally we will reach a consensus in a bipartisan way.”

Legislators plan to obtain necessary information from department heads, consulting financial experts, the County Executive’s staff and others.

The review will be conducted by the Budget and Finance Committee and will include discussions on revenues, the state tax cap, mandates, capital projects, and the report that the state Comptroller’s Office will provide after reviewing the proposed spending plan.

Discussions will also be held regarding the audit of the county’s 2015 fiscal year; personnel changes, including any abolishments or new positions; allocated costs, which are the fees each department pays toward the county’s overall electric bill, computer software updates, county office maintenance and such.

The public is encouraged to attend the review sessions. The schedule is subject to change. Check the Legislature’s homepage on the county website for the updates.

The information will also be available on the Legislature’s Facebook page.

Key Budget Dates

• By Oct. 1: The County Executive must submit the proposed budget to the County Legislature for review.
• By Nov. 20: The County Legislature must hold a public hearing on the proposed budget.
• By Dec. 7: The full Legislature must adopt the budget and/or submit changes to the County Executive. If the Legislature takes no action, the budget is deemed adopted. If the Legislature amends the proposed budget, it goes to the County Executive for review; he has five working days after receipt of the amended version to veto. (He has line item veto power.)
• By Dec. 20: The County Legislature must override or the amended version with any vetoes becomes the budget. It takes a two-thirds vote per veto item to override that veto (Two-thirds is 12 votes).

The Legislature has tentatively set Nov. 15 as the public hearing date and Dec. 6 as the budget vote date.

ALSO SEE ON PATCH: Rockland County Executive Presents $674 Million 2017 Budget