Building a Better Tomorrow
When I was first elected to serve as County Executive, the New York State Comptroller’s Office listed Rockland as the most fiscally stressed County in the entire state and our bond rating was one step above junk status.
In August of this year, Moody’s Investors Service upgraded the County’s bond ratings and Rockland is now among the top fiscally strongest counties in New York State, an achievement only six other counties have reached, literally transforming this County from worst to first in only 8 years.
As we continue to build on that success the one question we constantly ask ourselves when crafting our budget is how to deliver the most efficient services at the lowest cost to taxpayers.
As we reidentify the needs of our residents we are abolishing 15 positions. We are also proposing the addition of 43 positions which better serve our families. Please know, our staffing remains 16% lower than where it stood when I first took office.
With that in mind, we have evaluated the need to reestablish the position of Commissioner of General Services who will oversee operations and coordination across Purchasing, Facilities, Capital Projects and Information and Communication Systems. This person will be crucial to helping us provide even more cost-effective internal services to County departments for generations to come.
I am committed to running a fair, open, and honest administration here in Rockland, which is why I am also proposing we hire a County FOIL Specialist. Transparency not only strengthens our democracy but also ensures government accountability.
In just the last few years our Department of Health has been battle-tested, responding to three nearly back-to-back health emergencies that included measles, covid, and now polio. It is clear, this department needs more boots on the ground, so we are proposing several new positions for the Department of Health.
Since the pandemic, our parks have experienced an explosion of usage by residents and visitors. We are also moving forward with the Open Space Acquisition program which we funded through last year’s budget process and are pursuing the purchase of 6 new parkland properties totaling just over 37 acres. As a result, we are proposing 3 new positions for Environmental Resources.
I am also proposing 2 new positions for the Department of Mental Health, including a Psychiatric Social Worker, who will head the Suicide Prevention Coalition with veterans being a notable focus.
For a full look of everything we announced in the Proposed 2023 Budget head to our website:
https://rocklandgov.com/
