Rockland Executive Day calls new county budget irresponsible

Rockland County Executive Ed Day is calling the newly adopted county budget irresponsible.
The amended $759 million county budget was adopted by the Legislature Tuesday night.
Day says the budget, which passed along party lines, overestimates sales tax revenue and spends money the county doesn't have, including the $3.5 million in the budget the county expects to get from the forfeiture of a down payment on a property by a buyer.
"The money won't be available right now but hopefully in the coming year it will be,” says Budget Committee Chairman Jay Hood.
Hood voted for the budget, but says he does agree with Day on some issues. He does not agree on the $200 new transfer tax on real estate transactions that would have added $1.2 million to the budget. He says the Legislature must first pass a law.
"If he puts that revenue back in and we don’t pass the law, that’s going to create a hole in our budget I think that would be a mistake to veto that,” he says.

Day does have the power to line-item veto the budget, and he says he sees places where he plans to exercise this power.

"At this point, a significant part of this budget will be rejected by this office,” says Day.

Although Democrats are the majority on the Legislature, they don't have enough votes alone to override any vetoes Day may make. Any overrides must be made by Dec. 20.