Rockland Exec Candidates Debate Budget Solutions, Desal Plant

Rockland County Legislator Ed Day of New City and former Spring Valley Justice David Fried agree that Rockland County faces a financial crisis.

The two candidates for Rockland County Executive once again disagreed on how to address it during a forum sponsored by Leadership Rockland at Dominican College in Orangeburg Wednesday.

Fried said that Rockland County cannot depend on state permission for bonding and that budget cuts alone cannot reverse Rockland's fiscal issues. He once again restated his promise to take a 20 percent pay cut once he takes office. 

"This is going to require a massive rethinking of how we function  as a county government," Fried said. "We have to show a signal to the work force and to the people that things are different. There is a willingness to sacrifice. We've seen cuts and layoff, but they came in the lower levels of government, the people driving that patrol car. the people filling that pothole or processing the Medicare claim. What we have is a top-heavy government that is not sustainable."

Day once again promised to start with zero-based budgeting and the elimination of patronage jobs. Fried has also committed to removing unqualified employees from county government, but he has argued that zero-based budgeting will not work because such a large percentage of Rockland County's budget is state mandated.

"My opponent, who has never worked a day in the private sector, can knock zero-based budgeting," Day said. "It is a proven strategy. It has been used in the public and private sector."

Both candidates focused on reducing taxes and increasing wealth in the county through economic development to reverse the trend of Rockland County's population growing older.

"If we don't deal with taxes, we will chase every young person out of here and a lot more," Day said.

As they have in previous debates, they clashed over the issue of Rockland County pushing the cost of college chargebacks to the towns, which took effect in 2012. Fried pointed out that Day recently voted against legislation that would have put the burden for the charges back on the county as of 2013. Day countered that he did so because the towns had already taxed residents to cover that expense for 2013.

"If you take $1.6 million and reimburse the towns for something you paid already, the taxpayers would have paid for it twice," DAy said. 

Fried countered that Day should have done more to build a consensus to an amendment to the law that works. 

Both candidates agreed that Rockland County needs to demand better treatment by the MTA, but disagreed on how to deal with it.

Day has previously supported looking into withdrawing from the MTA and said he would do so again if elected. He argued that the county needed to work from a position of strength. Fried called the idea "short-sighted" and claimed that the county should not give up its voice. 

The candidates got deeper into a discussion of United Water's proposed $130 million Hudson River water treatment plant than in some previous debates. Day said that the state's Public Service commission has failed in its role to determine if the project is necessary. 

"Seven years and $50 million later we don't have an answer," Day said. "That is an absolute failure by the PSC to do its job and we in Rockland are left twisting."

While Fried argued that the plant is not necessary, Day said there is independent information on both sides of that issue. He said it needs to be made clear if the need for more water exists in Rockland County, but if it does, that must be addressed. 

Fried called for the creation of a water district, saying that it would give the county more legal options in battling rate increases by United Water and oppose releasing water from Rockland County into New Jersey. 

Both candidates were asked if they would consider looking into eliminating the position of Rockland County Executive and replacing it with a county administrator. Fried opposed the idea and Day said he would consider it. 

"The accountability then goes to the elected legislature," Fried said. "It is important to have two branches of government and (eliminating the county executive) would really create a one-branch government."

"I would be open to it," Day said. "I had this conversation a fw days ago. I am looking to serve two terms, tops. If I can't get us on the right track or fixed in eight years, you should elect somebody else."

Day will be on the Republican and Preserve Rockland lines and Fried will be listed on the Democratic, Working Families and Independence lines in the Nov. 5 general election. Thomas Sullivan of Nanuet, who did not take part in Wednesday's forum, will be on the Conservative line.