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The State of the Rockland County: Rental Reform, Deficit Reduction

ed day speech (2)NEW CITY, NY  —  County Executive Ed Day’s State of the County address on Tuesday served as an opportunity for the county executive to enumerate his administration’s accomplishments from his first two years in office —  cutting the administration’s deficit by 30% through operational reforms; keeping unemployment at its lowest level since 2006 — and to present modest goals for 2016.  The following are the areas where Day plans to focus in the coming year.

Deficit Reduction
The administration hopes to continue chipping away at the county’s deficit “[t]hrough prudent budgeting, investing in the community’s well-being and focusing on improving the county’s infrastructure.”
Summit Park Transformation
With the building formerly used for the Summit Park Hospital and Nursing Care Center (Building “A”), Day would like to “locate physical health, behavioral health and human services providers under one roof.” Re-thinking Summit Park, Day said, would “help ensure access to a full spectrum of high-quality programs and providers for all of our residents, including our most vulnerable populations.”
Rockland Codes Initiative “Phase Two” – The Rental Certification and Registry Initiative
The rental certification initiative would require properties in the county with more than three renters to register with the Rockland County Department of Health. The idea is to ensure that all renters comply with all laws or regulations that ensure the health and safety of the occupants and first responders — or, in Day’s words, to fight “landlords [who] just don’t give a damn.”
Economic Growth and Jobs
Day plans to work closely with the Rockland Economic Development Corporation, the Rockland County Industrial Development Agency and the Rockland Business Association, to “create jobs and opportunities for residents across the county.”
Public Assistance Front End Detection
Day stressed that fraud is becoming an increasingly important problem as the number of local residents who receive some form of assistance from the county grows. At present, nearly one-third of Rockland’s population is receiving Medicaid. “To that end,” Day’s team wrote in a press release, “the Rockland County Department of Social Services has made it a priority to target fraud, waste, and abuse of our programs and services.” The county’s Front End Detection System as saved nearly $4 million to date, according to Day.
Continued Conservative Budgeting
Rockland’s credit rating was increased by both Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s, which, Day said, will lead to lower borrowing costs in the future. Meanwhile, the county recently finished successful negotiations with the CSEA and RAM labor unions.
Mandate Reform
Day advocated for mandate reform, saying that nine state mandates alone currently consume more than 90% of Rockland County’s tax levy and the situation is expected to be even worse next year.
Watch Day’s full speech here:

Rockland ounty Executive Day Delivers 2016 State of the County address.


Nyack People & Places, a weekly series that features photos and profiles of citizens and scenes near Nyack, NY, is sponsored by Sun River Health.


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