County Taxes Will Increase More Than Expected

The Rockland County Legislature approved a 2014 budget of almost $761 million with a 9.9 percent on December 5. That plan eliminated some positions and reduced salaries that had been included in County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef’s proposed budget. Vanderhoef vetoed 16 of the legislature’s line item changes and 10 of those were sustained by legislators on Tuesday, increasing the budget by more than $460,100 and increasing the tax rate to 10.4 percent. 

Budget & Finance Committee Chair Michael Grant said 13 of the 16 items were salary related. He said that he voted to override all the vetoes. Legislator Alden Wolfe also voted to override the 16 vetoes. 

Since no revenue sources were identified for the additional costs, the outcome is the tax levy jumps over 10 percent.

“The net result is it increases the budget by $460,000,” Grant said. “That amount will have to be added to the tax levy.”

The vetoes that were sustained or upheld by legislators included increasing the salary of the real property tax officer Sean Mathews by $20,900 which returned it back to the amount he has received as deputy county executive and Vanderhoef’s chief of staff. 

Other items created or reinstated included the positions of probation officer at $60,615; confidential intelligence assistant in the sheriff’s office at $41,667; labor relations administrator at $98,320; assistant director of facilities at $85,970, head nurse at $76,846 and administrative secretary at $47,814. Also sustained was operation supplies for the sheriff’s office, printing supplies for the district attorney’s office and contingency funds. Votes to sustain the overrides came from both Democratic and Republican legislators.

Legislators needed 12 votes to override Vanderhoef’s vetoes. The 15 legislators at the meeting voted unanimously to override five items; the sixth was overridden by a 13 to 2 vote. Those included assistant director of purchasing, utilities plant foreman, public relations/marketing coordinator, practical nurse, supervising nurse and nurse practitioner which had proposed salaries totaling more than $413,500. 

The added items bring the 2014 budget, which was originally proposed at slightly under $761 million to more than $761 million.