If you can’t stand the heat…
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- November
- 29
It’s obvious that this year’s budget negotiations between the Rockland county executive and the County Legislature are not as friendly as they were last year. Last year was all pats on the back and a budget that passed with hardly a whisper of discontent.
This year, however, has brought a lot more snipping and a lot more urgent phone calls between the two offices. Why?
County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef, a Republican, attributes some of it to a few projected revenue shortfalls, including the sales tax revenue, but also to the fact that 2007 is an election year for all 17 legislators.
“They’re thinking of their own political futures as well,” he said.
Legislator Ilan Schoenberger, D-Wesley Hills, said he doesn’t seen relations as being noticeably strained, but said the Legislature will try to work with the executive and if negotiations aren’t successful, pass its own version of the budget.
“There are a lot more complicated issues than there were last year,” he said.
Among them are financial difficulties brought on by the Mirant tax delinquency case and a report from the Legislature’s financial advisors that warns of a dip in the county’s surplus.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, November 29th, 2006 at 12:12 pm by Sarah Netter.
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