Rockland Lawmakers' Feud with Day Spills onto Sheriff Deputies

NEW CITY, NY – The feud between Rockland County Executive Ed Day and the county Legislature has now spilled all over the county's sheriff deputies, who have been working without a contract for more than six years.

The proposed new contract is retroactive, covering 2011-16. It calls for a one and half percent retroactive increase per year. At least, it would.

Last week, the lawmakers approved a contract deal that was different from the one the county executive had approved.

Day said the county attorney has determined that their resolution is invalid because the version voted on was not the same as the one he approved. Also, he said, the Legislature's resolution relied on inaccurate funding sources and would have created a $500,000 budget deficit.

So on Thursday, Day submitted two resolutions to the Legislature to ratify and fund the agreement with sheriff deputies that had been agreed to by the union and the administration. He said the resolution delivered today to the Legislature outlines valid and fiscally prudent funding for the agreement.

He is also requesting a special meeting of the Legislature before Feb. 3 to meet the contract deadline.

Both the sheriff deputy's union and the county had agreed to the terms after lengthy negotiations, Day said in his announcement.

"I want to make it clear that I am standing 100 percent behind the sheriff deputies and the agreement we shook hands on," Day said. "I thank Charlie Lowther, president of the union and the board for their cooperation and support."

The contract expired years before Day took office. His administration negotiated in good faith with the union to arrive at a fair settlement.

"These law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to protect Rockland," said Day. "It is inexcusable to involve their livelihoods in petty political posturing."