Proposed 2013 Budget Enters Final Phases

The Rockland County Legislature’s Budget & Finance Committee will share its report on the proposed 2013 budget at tonight’s 7 p.m. meeting.  Since receiving County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef’s proposed spending plan of $736.9 million on October 23, county legislators reviewed it, met with department heads who explained their unit’s budget needs and in some cases asked for reinstatement of reduced funding. The legislature's accounting firm reviewed the budget and union leaders criticized it.

The county executive’s proposed budget eliminated 69 positions and proposed raising county taxes by 18.4 percent, an increase of $157 for the average property owner.  

There will be a vote on the committee’s report regarding the proposed budget, followed by a vote to adopt the committee’s recommended proposed budget and a third vote to appropriate budget items. 

On Tuesday at 6 p.m. the full legislature goes into session beginning with a series of four public hearings.   Those hearings will be followed by votes on accepting the Budget & Finance Committee’s report on the proposed 2013 budget, adoption of the budget and appropriation of budget items. 

The public hearings start at 6:05 p.m. with the opportunity for comment on a local law creating the Rockland County Deficit Reduction Act. The second public hearing is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. on a local law to override the state property tax cap of two percent. 

The 6:15 p.m. public hearing concerns establishment of the Rockland County Mandate and Taxation Information Act, which provides for an insert in tax bills about county taxes. The act includes a provision for optional town bill inserts as well.  The final public hearing slated for 6:20 p.m. deals with the creation of the Rockland County Taxation Transparency Act.  

The legislature must submit a budget to the county executive by Friday, Dec. 7. It can be the original plan proposed by Vanderhoef or a a budget with changes.