County Executive Ed Day Submits Proposition To Balance Rockland Budget
County Executive Ed Day submitted three draft Resolutions to the County Legislature which will generate additional revenue, help stabilize Rockland’s finances, and allow for proper budgetary decision-making for 2021.
“We are facing never before seen impacts on our budget and need to do everything possible to decrease spending while finding ways to increase revenue; through our previous actions we have reduced year over year spending by more than $18 million at the end of June. But between the predicted revenue shortfall of $40-50 million and NYS now cutting 20% of promised state aid and reimbursements we are being battered from all sides. If we just accepted this fiscal situation it would result in the need for 200 layoffs. That is why we need to take these additional steps to protect our employees from possible layoffs and property taxpayers from the double-digit rate increases of the past,” said County Executive Day.
The first Resolution authorizes the sale of the Sain Building, 18 New Hempstead Road, New City, with all proceeds from the sale to be applied to offset any financial losses caused by COVID-19. The original purchase offer for the building in March of 2016 was $4.51 million. The prior sale would have also returned the building to the property tax roles and generated $500,000 in total annual property tax revenue for the Town of Clarkstown, Clarkstown Central School District and County of Rockland. The building was officially closed in December of 2017.
The second Resolution calls for the temporary addition of one-half of one percent to the local sales tax to take effect December 1, 2020 or as soon thereafter as possible, for a period of three years until November 30, 2023. This Resolution would also need to be passed by the New York State Legislature and signed by Governor Cuomo. The current sales tax rate in Rockland County is 8 and 3/8ths percent, this Resolution would raise it to 8 and 7/8ths percent equal to the rate of Yonkers and NYC.
The third Resolution would push back the 2021 proposed County Budget submission requirement from October 1, 2020, to October 23, 2020. Rockland is due to receive two sales tax disbursements from NYS on or before October 1, 2020 with two additional disbursements due to the County on October 7, 2020, and October 13, 2020. This three-week delay will allow for the collection of more data and therefore a more accurate projection of the 2021 proposed County Budget.
