Rockland County Legislature Names Leaders For 2020

NEW CITY, NY — The Rockland County Legislature voted Thursday to elect Legislator Alden H. Wolfe as Chair and Legislator Aney Paul as Vice Chair for its 2020 session. It is the second time Wolfe has been elected to the post.

“I am honored and humbled by the confidence placed in me by my colleagues,” Wolfe said.

Wolfe served from 2014 to 2016. He was succeeded by Legislator Toney L. Earl, whose service was acknowledged by Wolfe during a swearing-in ceremony conducted by Rockland County Clerk Paul Piperato.

The 15 legislators who were present stood and simultaneously took the Legislative oath of office. Each was then called forward to officially sign in and to address the audience, with most thanking their families, supporters and constituents.

“I would like to take this time to thank everyone for giving me this opportunity to serve," Paul said. It is an honor to serve as a Legislator and the Vice Chair on behalf of the people of Rockland County."

Also Thursday, the board’s nine Democrats voted to elect Legislator Jay Hood Jr. as Majority Leader. Legislator Phil Soskin was appointed Deputy Majority Leader.

“We do have a divide right now and we need to try to bring the two parties together and get things done,” Hood said. “We have to find a way to work together (and) I am completely committed to working with both sides of the aisle."

The five Republicans who were in attendance voted to elect Legislator Lon Hofstein as Minority Leader and Legislator Vince Tyer was appointed Deputy Minority Leader.

“We can begin this new decade with the goal of moving forward but that will require compromise and change,” Hofstein said. “What the new year brings to us will depend on what we as a cohesive team bring to the new year."

A highlight of the swearing-in ceremony included the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner by the Chairman’s daughter, Morgan Wolfe, a college student who is studying vocal performance.

“When I was first selected as Chairman in 2014, our County was coming off the heels of the most challenging economic conditions in generations," Wolfe said. “Today, six years later, I’m proud to say that our hard work and sacrifices have paid off. We went from a multimillion-dollar deficit to a multimillion-dollar surplus. Our budget for 2020 is not only balanced, but for the first time in many years allows us to deploy resources beyond the bare minimum."

Wolfe highlighted some of Legislature’s achievements of the past year, including funding nonprofit organizations that, among other things, help parents find appropriate child care, assist people who are visually impaired or blind so they can lead independent lives; provide critically needed legal assistance to low-income individuals and families; and support arts, cultural and youth organizations.

He noted the launch of a new Open Space Program to help preserve parcels from development; amendments to the county’s Fair Housing Law to prohibit housing discrimination against transgender individuals, immigrants, veterans, and senior citizens on a fixed income; a county law to ban most single-use plastic bags in Rockland; and a law to allow local businesses to finance projects that reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, while also boosting a clean-energy economy.

“It’s noteworthy that these were all initiatives that received bipartisan support," Wolfe said. “We really can work together when we want to."

The Chairman acknowledged that he and County Executive Ed Day have had a rocky relationship in the past. Wolfe said he met with the County Executive to express his interest in finding a way to work together in 2020 and beyond.

"While we will always have differing views on how to achieve our goals for Rockland County - mutual or otherwise - for myself, I’m committed to a level of dialogue that focuses on policy," Wolfe said. “I’ve also shared this same sentiment with the members of the Minority, to whom I sincerely extend my hand and my wishes for a respectful, productive working relationship."

Among his priorities for 2020, Wolfe said he hoped to find common ground on a comprehensive Human Rights Law that was passed on party lines in 2019 but vetoed by the County Executive. He also hopes to conduct an analysis on using county property more efficiently, including allowing nonprofits to co-locate on county property.