While Rockland County is doing well, its unemployment rate low, it still must remain vigilant in promoting its interests in Albany.
That was the overriding sentiment during a breakfast address by County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef to members of the Rockland Business Association. Vanderhoef also floated the idea of private funds buttressing public money to build a new cross-Hudson bridge.
Vanderhoef said that Rockland has the third-lowest unemployment rate in the state ”“ 4.3 percent, according to January state Labor Department figures ”“ and added about 1,000 private sector jobs last year. New York City”™s is 6.1 percent; Putnam is 4.0; Orange is 5.0; Kingston is 5.4 percent (the only figure available for Ulster); and Dutchess is 4.8 percent.
“So, we”™re growing,” Vanderhoef said. “Looking globally, we”™re doing pretty well. We have problems, but by and large we”™re OK.”
He said the business community in Rockland must continue to make its voice heard in Albany, and join legislators in making sure Rockland”™s needs are not forgotten in the state Capitol.
Vanderhoef noted that it is sometimes difficult navigating the political waters in Albany.
“It”™s an ongoing effort on our part to get the best services for the county, and at the same time working the political system,” he said.
RBA President Al Samuels, before the county executive”™s address, said the group traveled to Albany earlier this month to voice concerns about some state issues, such as reforming the 1912 Wicks Law that dictates taxpayer-supported construction bidding and Article X legislation, which covers the siting of power plants.
Vanderhoef said since so much of each county”™s budget is paying for state mandates, the state Legislature needs to do a better job of tightening its purse strings.
“(Rockland County) eliminated 100 positions from county government last year,” he said. “County government is operating on a shoestring at this point.”
He said the initial executive budget proposed by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer raised mandates on localities even more. He is hopeful that budget negotiations ongoing in Albany can reduce some of those.
Regarding the Tappan Zee Bridge, Vanderhoef said a new bridge definitely needs to be built, but there isn”™t enough money in just public funds to build it.
He said other large public works projects in the country have been funded at least partially by private investments.
“Private sector investment in public infrastructure is gaining hold across the country, but not in New York,” he said.
He also said any project involving a new bridge must include a mass transit component, with commuter rail being ideal.
“It”™s not just a bridge, it”™s a corridor,” he said.
He also said that if a mass transit component is chosen for the new bridge, it should be built with the bridge, and not shelved for decades down the road.
Vanderhoef expressed hope that the state will come up with some sort of school tax cap, as is currently being looked at by a commission headed by Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi.
The county executive said the health care industry is the largest private sector employee in Rockland, making up about 20 percent of the work force. Retail jobs consist of about 15 percent of the private sector workforce.
