New City, NY – Rockland County legislators closed out their final meeting of 2025 by locking in tax rates and levies while advancing a major restructuring of how sewer services are governed in parts of the county.
During the session, the Legislature approved tax rates and levies for Rockland County and the towns of Clarkstown, Haverstraw, Orangetown, Ramapo, and Stony Point, along with multiple taxable districts. The approvals allow each municipality to collect revenue needed to fund operations, payroll, and essential public services.
Lawmakers then unanimously authorized an $87.8 million capital project for Rockland County Sewer District No. 1, which serves Ramapo excluding Suffern, Clarkstown excluding Upper Nyack, and 150 units in Orangetown. The project focuses on pumping station upgrades aimed at modernizing aging infrastructure.
Only properties within the sewer district are charged for its operation. The district includes 87,366 charge units covering residential and business properties.
For homeowners, the estimated cost of the improvements was presented as $40.74 for a one-family home and $71.89 for a two-family home in Ramapo, and $43.98 for a one-family home and $59.14 for a two-family home in Clarkstown. The estimated hookup fee for property owners was set at $250.
The Legislature also unanimously approved a request for home rule authority from the New York State Legislature, a required step toward creating the CR Clean Water & Sewer Authority. If approved by the state, the new authority would replace Rockland County Sewer District No. 1.
- Tax rates and levies were approved for Rockland County and five towns.
- An $87.8 million sewer district capital project was unanimously authorized.
- Lawmakers requested state approval to form a new sewer authority.
Under the proposal, the CR Authority would be overseen by a nine-member voting board. Members would include one service-area resident appointed by the County Executive, one resident approved by the County Legislature, the supervisors of the towns of Ramapo and Clarkstown, three service-area residents appointed by the Ramapo supervisor, and two service-area residents appointed by the Clarkstown supervisor.
At present, sewer district budgets and capital projects must be approved by the full County Legislature, including members whose districts fall outside the sewer service area, and then by the County Executive. The proposed authority would shift those decisions directly to the board.
County officials said the change could shorten approval timelines for capital projects. The proposal would also move responsibility for issuing and repaying bonds from the county to the new authority, separating sewer district borrowing from the county’s overall financial obligations.
