NEW CITY, N.Y. — Rockland County Executive Ed Day announced Tuesday he will propose a $913.8 million budget for 2026 with zero increase in county property taxes, positioning fiscal restraint as the centerpiece of his re-election campaign.
“This administration is committed to being smart with your money,” Day said in a pre-recorded video released on the county’s Facebook page. “In today’s economy, families need relief more than ever.”
The proposed budget, up from $876 million in 2025, comes after two consecutive years of 2% property tax cuts. Day said his goal was to cut again in 2026, but cited rising costs and uncertain state and federal funding as barriers.
Despite economic pressures—including rising pension and healthcare contributions, and cuts tied to the Trump administration’s “Big Beautiful Bill”—Day said his team refused to “overreact to unknowns.”
Conservative Spending, Aggressive Pitch
Day, a Republican and former NYPD commander, credits his leadership since 2014 with transforming a county once facing a $138 million deficit into one with a Triple-A bond rating from Moody’s—the highest in New York State.
Rockland, he said, has aggressively cut waste, eliminated its Residential Energy Tax and Auto Registration Tax, and paid off its deficit bond. Families now save $12 million annually—equivalent to an 8.4% tax cut, he noted.
“Our purchasing division saved nearly $2 million in just two years,” he said. “We refuse to take the easy way out and raise taxes.”
Election-Year Budget with Community Sweeteners
With Day seeking re-election in November, this year’s budget announcement leaned more on broad themes than complex numbers. But it included voter-friendly items:
- $1 million boost to the HERROS Program, which helps emergency volunteers cover college tuition.
- Completion of the Rockland County Firefighter Memorial.
- New investments in recruitment marketing and employee development, including the Emerging Leaders training program.
- A $200,000 feasibility study for installing solar panels and EV charging stations on county property.
Housing Crisis, Inflation Still Loom
Although Day projected confidence, the budget is being presented amid economic uncertainty. Inflation, gas prices, and job instability continue to wallop local families. Rockland also faces a deepening housing crisis and potential threats to Medicare and SNAP subsidies.
“We’re focused on giving money back to the people while acting with caution and responsibility,” Day said.
From NYPD to Budget Hawk
Born in a Brooklyn housing project in 1951, Ed Day rose through the NYPD ranks before leading Baltimore’s Detective Division. He entered Rockland politics in 2005, won the County Executive seat in 2013, and has since rebranded himself as a fiscal turnaround specialist.
His administration’s rallying cry? “Efficient services at the lowest cost to taxpayers.”
With November looming, Day made his appeal direct: “I urge the Legislature to stand with me in safeguarding the money of our hardworking residents and refrain from careless spending.”
Stay up to date with the latest Rockland News at Rockland Daily News.
Mathew Alvarez joined Rockland Daily News as a reporter in March 2020, but he’s no stranger to Rockland County. He grew up in New City and graduated from Ball State’s College of Communication, Information, and Media.
