Rockland Lawmakers Create Citizen's Guide to County Budget

NEW CITY, NY - Rockland County Legislature Chairman Alden H. Wolfe and Budget & Finance Committee Chairman Legislator Michael M. Grant unveiled on Tuesday a new report, Rockland County 2016 Budget: A Citizens’ Guide.

It's the first time the lawmakers have created such a thing.

“I am proud to make this vital guide available to our residents,” Wolfe said in the announcement. “It provides the information needed to become more knowledgeable about the costs and benefits of County government in a clear, concise, and user-friendly way.”

The lawmakers said the 14-page guide will let residents see how their tax dollars are put to work.

It also highlights the many benefits of the services provided by County government – everything from breastfeeding support for new mothers; senior citizen and veterans’ programs; and day camp inspections; to 28 county parks spanning woodlands, mountains and the Hudson River; public bus services, voter registration; and mounted and river patrols, among many other services.

“This report accomplishes an important task by embracing transparency in the County budgeting process,” Grant said. “The report is important because it bares all – the good, as well as the blemishes. Overall, it shows that the many actions taken by the Legislature since the Great Recession have brought positive changes – ones I hope we will continue to build upon as we strive to keep Rockland County a wonderful community in which to live and raise our families."

The Citizens’ Guide shows residents where the money comes from and where it goes, from state mandates to social service program. It also details tax rates and levies, and the actions taken by the Legislature to improve the budget.

Wolfe and Grant said in the guide residents will learn why Rockland’s fiscal stress score fell drastically, and see a 40 percent drop in the number of County employees despite a population growth of 9.2 percent.

Most impressively, they said, residents will see a county tax rate that is less than half that of the state average despite the breadth of services provided by Rockland County.

The Citizens’ Guide is available online on the County Legislature’s page at RocklandGov.com.