Rockland County Executive Ed Day’s 2025 State of the County Address highlighted a list of achievements during 2024 that he characterized as showing continued fiscal responsibility, infrastructure investment, and improvements in the quality of life for the county’s residents.
“We are very, very proud of what’s happening,” Day said. “It’s very different than it was years back. We’ve made progress but we’re facing new challenges. Ongoing high inflation is leading to sales tax revenues falling off and they have been growing significantly year over year. It’s been part of our recovery, without a doubt. My administration is always searching for savings, both big and small to help offset any potential losses. Unlike other governments that frivolously waste money and over-tax to cover costs, we focus on making strategic investments that maximize returns for Rockland’s future.”
Day highlighted recent money-saving measures that includedL $30 million savings on capital improvements by paying upfront with cash-on-hand rather than borrowing; collecting $2 million from New York state to cover half of the cost of resurfacing 14 miles of county roads; and relying on state and federal funds to cover the cost of new paratransit buses.
Day said that in 2024 his administration worked to bring new housing into the county and will continue to do so in 2025.
Day reported that the county’s Sheriff’s Office is launching a unit that will deal with cryptocurrency crimes as well as a Crime Center that will enhance the flow of information among public safety personnel. He said that the county’s Department of Consumer Protection recovered more than $55,00 in refunds for consumers and that the Veterans Service Agency secured $2.5 million worth of additional benefits for veterans in the county.
Day said that the average household in Rockland would have to pay an additional $618 a year in taxes to maintain current services were it not for the extra taxes collected through tourism.
He said that more than 300 acres of open space were preserved under the county’s Open Space Acquisition Program.
He praised the county’s youth bureau for last year helping 500 young people complete nearly 100,000 hours of hands-on work experience, which he said is an investment in the young people of Rockland County. Day said the Department of Social Services is among the state’s leaders in child welfare services.
“We are bolstering our efforts to ensure that individuals with disabilities have the support, resources and opportunities they need to thrive. This includes the Department of Mental Health in partnership with Capabilities Partnership launching a much-needed program to help families secure services from the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities,” Day said.
Day had praise for county workers as well as first responders both paid and volunteer, and noted, “We have achieved far more than we ever imagined, but our work is far from over. I ask each of you to stand with me as we continue creating a county our families can be proud of.”
