Albany Hearing On Rockland County’s Requests For Tax Increase and Bond Approval

Representatives of the Rockland County Executive’s office and towns along with local legislative leaders will meet today in Albany with the State Senate Finance Committee. Local leaders will present their case to increase the county sales tax by 3/8 of one percent and approve an $80 million bond to address Rockland’s growing.

County Communications Director Ron Levine said the each group, the towns, legislators and county executive’s office, will present its assessment of the county’s fiscal situation. Local state legislators helped to arrange the meeting.

“It’s a unified effort,” said Levine, adding that it is a “collaborative effort on the part of three different groups that are not always in sync but this time they are in sync.”

On Wednesday, Levine said the county hopes to convince Albany lawmakers that the request is valid.

“We ‘re asking for the ability to change tax legislation,” he said.

If the revenue raising measures are denied, the county would likely be faced with implementing layoffs and program and service cuts. Under the 2012 budget adopted by the legislature, 40 positions were cut but the original proposal from County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef called for the elimination of more than 500 jobs to close the gap.