Fighting for Our Families
Without question this has been a tough year for families in Rockland County and beyond.
As residents continue to recover from the financial fallout of the pandemic, we are also coping with 40-year high inflation that has consumer prices nearly 8% higher across the board from this time last year with gas and electricity even higher than that.
The impact of this is being seen in Home Energy Assistance (HEAP) applications in Rockland County which are up nearly 9% from last year and 30% from 2020.
We want our residents to know we are doing what we can to alleviate some of the financial burden.
Just this fall this administration, along with the County Legislature, eliminated the residential energy tax, equivalent to an 8.4% county property tax reduction. That elimination went into effect December 1st and will save property owners and renters roughly $4 million this winter and $12 million annually.
Early in the pandemic we suspended the fare for our TOR buses for residents which till this day remains free, resulting in one less cost for families.
Skyrocketing gas prices have also hit families hard. While they’re finally creeping down it’s still 10% higher than prices last winter. I remind families that over the summer we capped the county’s sales tax on motor fuel purchases at $2 through February of 2023, saving drivers roughly $5 for a 20-gallon fill-up.
The adopted budget for 2023 will build on those efforts, bringing further reprieve to residents from this costly economic climate, in a responsible and balanced manner.
In addition to the zero percent county property tax increase for this year, we will once again have no county property tax increase in 2023.
Let’s not forget my administration amended our local law to opt into New York State’s new bill increasing income eligibility for seniors 65 and older from $29,000 to $50,000. This will help reduce their share of the county‘s property tax in 2024. Other municipalities may also opt in which would also benefit seniors.
As families face increasing costs, I’m proud that my administration is actively working to ease those burdens and pledge to the people of Rockland to continue finding ways to lighten the load for families as best as we can.
