Fiscal Crisis Focus Of Minority Leader’s Speech

Newly elected Rockland County Legislative Minority Leader Chris Carey (R-Bardonia) will speak about the county financial woes at Tuesday’s meeting. In advance of the address, Carey said his focus will almost entirely be on the issues surrounding Rockland’s mounting budget deficit and the possible ways to alleviate it.

“I am particularly interested in how the County will deal with Summit Park (Nursing Care Center) and the proposed Local Development Corporation,” said Carey.  I believe that the LDC decision, including the overhead allocated to Summit Park, is one of the few remaining strategic opportunities that the County has to significantly improve our long-term financial outlook.” 

Summit Park’s operating costs have been one of the contributing factors to the county’s estimated $111 million deficit. In 2012, County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef proposed the creation of a Local Development Corporation (LDC). Part of that recommendation was to transfer ownership of the Pomona-based health care facility to the LDC, which then would be responsible for selling it.   

Following Carey’s speech, the legislature is scheduled to vote on setting a date for a public hearing on the proposal to transfer Summit Park to an LDC.

Other agenda items include resolutions:

• Asking state officials to review the laws for community college chargebacks
• Extend a contract with James W Sewall Company for hosting and maintaining the county’s digital tax map
• Authorizing the county executive and highway superintendent to apply for $1.3 million of federal funds for New Hempstead Road construction inspection costs
• Approve a contract amendment with Avstar Corporation for consulting services for development, design, implementation and construction
• Vote on accepting a $40,000 grant from New York State Criminal Services for ignition lock devices. The grant would reimburse the county for the $110.21 installation costs per device from Oct. 1, 2012 through Sept. 30, 2013