Rockland County Legislature Sets Tax and Rent Rates for 2013, Extends Date for Abolishing Positions

BY MICHAEL RICONDA

The Rockland County Legislature met for a special assembly on December 27 to approve tax and rent rates for 2013 and set effective dates for the abolition of certain positions, as outlined in the newly-passed 2013 budget.

The Legislature approved the levying of tax rates for the county, towns, districts, and other miscellaneous jurisdictions. It also took time to approve town tax statements, highway-related items, and the cancellation of selected village and school tax assessments.

The position eliminations would have affected relief workers and some positions in the Department of Health which were not restored in the final version of the 2013 budget and were set to be abolished on January 1, but were contractually-required to be retained by the county.

The resolution which passed through the legislature will keep the positions on the payroll until after February 22, 2013, allowing some time for the legislature to take further action in January to maintain the positions beyond February.

Another item of note was the setting of 7:05 p.m. on January 15 for a public hearing on the renewal of a 5 percent payment rate for two year installment plans designed to pay back delinquent taxes, as opposed to 20 percent state rate. The move was designed to help people afford the pay rates as the economy continues to recover.

In addition, sanitation received significant attention, with the Legislature approving the collection of taxes and rents for Sewer District No. 1, collection of charges for the Rockland County Solid Waste Management Authority as a whole, and the re-levy of sewer rents, unpaid surcharges, and violations from the 2011-2012 year.

  budget, charges, legislature, rent rates, tax rates