Editorial: Rockland's critical budget moment

Rockland Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef has taken a crucial though painful step to address the county's dire fiscal problems. His proposal, released Thursday, includes layoffs, program cuts and added fees, on top of the staggering 30 percent property tax increase approved in this year's budget.

Next up is the Board of Legislators, which is scheduled to discuss these proposals May 29. The board must not put off the tough calls or use gimmicks to close the county's $21-million budget gap. The price of dithering could be more jobs lost and deeper cuts.

And after dealing with this pressing issue, legislators still have to grapple with longer-term debt -- estimated at $80 million -- that has grown over the years.

The cavalry -- in this case the state -- isn't riding to the rescue. And many eyes are on Rockland, notably those of Wall Street's rating agencies, one of which recently downgraded the county's bond rating to just above junk status.

County leaders should resist the urge to point fingers at members of Rockland's state delegation, who rightly refused to back an increase in the county sales tax or to add mortgage and transfer taxes. There's no more dodging what should have been done for years: cuts in spending.

The 150 layoffs proposed by Vanderhoef would save $8.8 million. The effects would be widely felt. Other proposed remedies pass costs along. They include billing localities for elections, instituting a 4 percent energy surcharge, and charging fees of $10 to $20 every two years for motor vehicles, depending on their size.

The potential sale of Summit Park Hospital and Nursing Home, or creation of a public benefit corporation to run it, could reap millions of dollars in savings and needs to be pursued. The facility has drained county coffers for years. But it's not a quick fix.

Much-needed mandate relief from New York State is far off, too, and because of the long economic slump, sales tax revenue isn't going to bail out Rockland -- or any other municipality facing similar problems.

This mess has been years in the making. Now Rockland's leaders must start to clean it up.