Schoenberger Proposes Creation of County Controller

Rockland County Legislator Ilan Schoenberger, a candidate for County Executive, proposed the creation of a County Controller for Rockland at a press conference Tuesday morning in front of the Rockland County Legislature.

Schoenberger said it would be one of the first proposals he would offer in January of 2014 if he was to win election as Rockland County Executive this fall. He set next fall as a goal to get a referendum on the ballot to create the new position, which would take the place of the commissioner of finance. 

The county controller would be an elected position. The commissioner of finance is appointed by the county executive. 

"I propose the creation of the elected county controller as a financial reform measure for county government," Schoenberger said. "The elected controller would be at no (additional) cost to taxpayers since it would require the simultaneous abolishment of the commissioner of finance and the salary of that position would pay for the controller.

"The concept is to create an independent county financial officer not beholden to the county executive or to the legislature, but only beholden to the electorate."

Schoenberger said it is one of three measures he has proposed to change the way the Rockland County government functions. He previously suggested a deficit reduction measure that would require the county executive to include at least $10 million to reduce the county deficit in the annual budget. The second was a two-term limit for the county executive. 

Schoenberger also proposed moving the deadline for the county executive to submit his proposed budget to the county legislature from Oct. 23 to Sept. 30 each year, allowing more time for review. The proposed controller would submit a written analysis of the county executive's proposed budget.

"If it is not balanced or it is deficient or based on overestimated revenues or underestimated expenditures, the county controller must so certify and append to the budget his recommendations to the legislature as to what actions must be taken to make sure the budget can be balanced," Schoenberger said. 

Clarkstown Supervisor Alex Gromack, Haverstraw Supervisor Howard Phillips and Rockland County Clerk Paul Piperato joined Schoenberger at the press conference and supported the proposal.

"I like the idea of an independent person, independent of the executive and legislative branches," Phillips said. "This is a person who will ensure there is enough revenue in the budget. That person will be held accountable. I am confident that if this position was in place in 2006, the county would not have found itself in the position it is today. I think it is overdue. I think it is a great way to ensure taxpayers that we will hold the line. We will put a person in charge who will be responsible."

Gromack said.that an independent controller could avoid issues such as overestimating revenue streams. He said the model that New York State uses could be helpful in looking at the proposal. 

"Obviously, the last seven or eight years, this county has had some real fiscal problems and has not been able to make corrections," Gromack said. "By any stretch, the sales tax revenues have been overestimated year after year to the tune of $80 million to $90 million. That shows yo the problem. When the executive branch overestimates by $80 million to $90 million. That's why you need an independent controller."

Rockland County Legislator Ed Day, who is also a candidate for county executive, recently proposed filling the long-vacant county auditor position. He proposed changes to the position, such as setting specific qualifications and requiring the approval of the legislature for the county executive's appointee to take the office.
The auditor would take on some of the same duties Schoenberger is proposing for a controller, such as reviewing the annual budget prior to its submission to the legislature.

Schoenberger said that the auditor position as it is now would not help deal with the county's problems.

"The auditor is someone who looks at things after they are done, after the money is spent," Schoenberger said. "We have outside consultants who audit. They look back and tell us what happened a year earlier. That's not going to deal with the deficit problem. That's not going to deal with keeping us out of deficit in the future."