Rockland Lawmakers Narrowly Pass County Budget

The Rockland County Legislature voted 9-8 to adopt an amended 2016 County Budget that sets aside funding for deficit reduction and restores jobs, among other important changes to County Executive Ed Day’s proposed spending plan.

“This has been the most challenging budget process I’ve experienced in my time as a County Legislator,” said Legislature Chairman Alden H. Wolfe (D-Montebello). “The 9-8 vote shows how difficult it was to arrive at a consensus.”

The votes on the tax cap and on the budget were bi-partisan.

The vote to bust the tax cap:

Ayes: Christopher Carey, R-Bardonia; Harriet Cornell, D-West Nyack; Richard Diaz, D-Congers; Michael Grant, D-Garnerville; Lon Hofstein, R-New City; Doug Jobson, R-Stony Point; Nancy Low-Hogan, D-South Nyack; Joseph Meyers, D-Airmont; Patrick Moroney, R-Pearl River; John Murphy, R-Pearl River; Jay Hood, Jr., D-Haverstraw.

Nays: Toney Earl, D-Hillcrest; Aney Paul, D-Nanuet; Ilan Schoenberger, D-Wesley Hills; Phil Soskin, D-Monsey; Aron Wieder, D-Spring Valley; Alden H. Wolfe, D-Montebello.

The vote to adopt the budget:

Ayes: Cornell, Diaz, Grant, Jobson, Low-Hogan, Meyers, Moroney, Murphy, Hood Jr.

Nays: Carey, Earl, Hofstein, Paul, Schoenberger, Soskin, Wieder, Wolfe.

Here’s what the majority approved:

• Continuing their efforts to cut the deficit, they set aside $1 million for deficit reduction in 2016.
• They restored appropriations for contract agencies – the nonprofit organizations providing vital services to local residents.
• Legislators also restored 32 jobs, including security guards and Medicaid fraud investigators, that were slated to be abolished.
• They added $100,000 to a contingency account to help cover any unexpected costs at Summit Park Hospital and Nursing Care Center in case it does not close by Dec. 31.
• Legislators also added $500,000 to the pension account in response to the state Comptroller’s Office concern that more needed to be budgeted.

“I was glad to work in a bipartisan fashion to build consensus on a budget that furthers our goals as a county, maintains services and helps us avoid possible future deficits,” said Legislature Vice Chairman Jay Hood Jr. (D-Haverstraw).

Here are the budget highlights:

• Proposed Budget: $727,262,680 ($727.3 million)
• Adopted Amended Budget: $732,571,690 ($732.6 million)
• The difference: $5,309,010 ($5.31 million)

• Property tax under proposed budget: 4.95 percent increase, or about $45 total annual increase.
• Adopted amended: 9.86 percent increase, or about $90 total annual increase.

• The allowable property tax increase under the cap for 2016: $640,970 or 0.59 percent.
• The tax increase under the proposed budget: $5,341,624 ($5.34 million) (4.95 percent)
• The tax increase under the adopted budget: $10,650,634 ($10.65 million) (9.86 percent increase)