Rockland County Executive Ed Day has announced a hiring freeze for all positions within the county government, citing the fiscal damage brought to the region by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Day”™s action is the latest to stem the financial tumult created by the pandemic, following a March 16 order that curtailed all nonessential and discretionary spending. On April 20, Rockland County was approved for reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for COVID-19 related expenses, and Day added the county will be filing monthly with the agency for additional funds.
“It goes without saying that these are challenging times,” Day said in a press statement. “We in county government are making every effort to stay ahead of this fiscal tsunami and prepare for any significant downturn. Based on the estimates of our Finance Department, we could be facing as much as a $56.3 million deficit for the 2020 budget. Rest assured we are acting judiciously now in order to protect residents from the double-digit tax increases of the past.”
