OMBUDSMAN ALERT: SENIOR HOUSING MUST BE ABOVE POLITICS

BY DR. LOUIS ALPERT

With all of the bickering between the county executive, the County Legislature and the county auditor regarding the critically needed sale of the Sain building, one fact rings out loud and clear: The county taxpayers and, in particular, the senior citizens desperately needing affordable housing in order to remain in this county, are the victims of a political football involving the players named in the above paragraph.

This fact is echoed by members of several Senior Citizen groups interviewed by this Ombudsman and in today’s column I will focus on one such group known as the “Rockland County Village Community” (RCVC).

In speaking with a spokesperson and active member of RCVC, Ms. Darlene Dorney, this group, while respecting the needs for Senior Citizen Assisted Living in our county, would prefer that the Sain building property be used for the construction of independent affordable Senior Citizen condo units.

Of course the sale of the Sain building goes beyond the needs of Senior Citizens in Rockland county and as stated by the county auditor Bob Bergman is critical to help solve the $16 million deficit problem of Rockland County. This sale of $4.5 million plus another $4 million from county coffers would halve the deficit in 2017, enabling Rockland to work with the state Comptroller and take us off the list of one of the most fiscally distressed counties in the state!

This Ombudsman will continue to further reach out to other Senior Citizen groups in the county and report to our readers on their preferences for the use of the Sain building property, whether it be for Assisted Living or Independent Living or any other purposes.

For those of our readers who are interested in contacting the RCVC, their contact person Ms. Dorney may be reached at 845-598-3188. The meetings of this group are held on Mondays at 9 a.m. at the meals On Wheels Adult Ed Center located at 121 West Nyack Road, Nanuet.

Please direct all questions and comments to [email protected]