The Rockland County executive”™s plan to lay off dozens of county workers and outsource some municipal functions was rejected by lawmakers this week.
County Executive Ed Day, a Republican, said eliminating the positions would save money through outsourcing. It would also save jobs, Day said, by allowing the county to work with outside vendors to encourage the rehiring of ousted county employees.
Though several dozen support and maintenance positions were included in Day”™s proposal, it focused mainly on more than 30 positions at Summit Park Hospital and Nursing Center. The center is in the process of being sold by Rockland to a private company and Day said eliminating the jobs would ultimately give the workers more leverage.
Day said on his Facebook page that he expected the workers to be laid off once Summit Park is sold, “and there will be no way we can move them into a private concern and keep them employed.”
“In short, and in the name of ”˜protecting’ their jobs, these employees are now doomed to be on an unemployment line early next year,” he said.
The county Board of Legislators”™ Budget and Finance Committee voted down several measures, according to The Rockland Times, which said the cuts would have amounted to as much as $1.5 million in annual savings. It was the second time the legislature voted down an outsourcing plan under Day, the Times said.
