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Day Vetoes Amended $709M 2019 Budget

Rockland County Executive Ed Day used his line-item veto power to strike down 95 amendments totaling several million dollars to the 2019 budget.

Rockland County Executive Ed Day vetoes part of the proposed 2019 budget.

Rockland County Executive Ed Day vetoes part of the proposed 2019 budget.

Photo Credit: Rockland County Government

In vetoing the amended budget, which tops out at $700 million, brought to him by the Democratic majority, Day said the "ill-advised amendments" would have jeopardized the county's plan to dig itself out of a fiscal hole. 

“The majority’s amended budget would have been a return to the days of speculative revenue, over-estimating sales tax revenue and a refusal to modernize county government,” said Day. “In short, a budget like theirs could lead us back down the path of deficits and double-digit tax increases; a return to the sins of the past.”

The vetoes include amendments:

  • $3.5 million in speculative revenue and appropriations to ostensibly fund employee contract settlements
  • Removed the new deed verification program
  • Increased estimated sales tax revenue by $647,500
  • Eliminated new positions in multiple departments
  • Bypassed the County's legally mandated process for procuring contracts

Day proposed a $709 million spending plan for 2019 that included a 2.9 percent property tax levy increase, which is under the state-mandated property tax cap. For the average Rockland residential property owner, taxes will increase just over $3 a month or about $37 a year.

The Democrats' revised budget included eliminating a $200 transfer tax, increasing sales tax revenues by $674,500 and adding $3.5 million for unsettled union contracts.

Day says the $3.5 million comes from the possible settlement of the ongoing Summit Park court case, which is currently undergoing an appeal. This appeal may take months or years to settle and was unfair to unions; creating false hope and sabotaging contract negotiations.

“I want to thank those in the Legislative Minority for refusing to accept poor fiscal policy and for standing up to help me protect Rockland’s financial recovery,” said Day. 

Day's vetoes will remain unless two Republicans crossover and vote with the 10 Democrats for a two-thirds overall vote to override his changes by a Dec. 20 deadline. If the Legislature takes no action, the budget is deemed adopted.

The 2019 Proposed Budget is available for review here: http://budget.rocklandgov.com/

The 2019 Proposed Budget announcement can be viewed here: https://bit.ly/2IvPvQY

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