NEW CITY – Rockland County Executive Edwin Day unveiled his proposed 2020 county budget on Wednesday. Spending totals $729.9 million, up from $709 million this year.
The average taxpayer will see only about a $36 increase for 2020. That’s under the state property tax cap.
The budget includes funding for infrastructure improvements, new state mandates and provides for the future of the county’s animals.
Day said the county faces an additional $4.5 million in new state mandates and program costs, equivalent to a 3.5 percent property tax increase on its own.
“As New York State attempts to balance their own budget they are shifting many of their costs down to the counties and local taxpayers,” he said. “Instead of actually reducing costs and finding efficiencies, which we have done on the local level, politicians are partaking in a shell game that further burdens residents across our state in a transparent attempt to make themselves look good.”
Some 52 percent of the county’s property tax levy is Rockland’s share of Medicaid – some $66.7 million a year, Day noted.
Included in the county executive’s budget is $5.7 million for construction of a new Hi-Tor animal shelter, bringing the total project cost to $7.75 million.
