What planning boards in Rockland actually approve — and why it takes months
Site plans, subdivisions, special permits, and SEQRA: the review machinery behind nearly every new project in Clarkstown, Ramapo, Orangetown, and Haverstraw.
Government
Town boards, county legislature, zoning and budgets, reported from the agenda packets.
How a village budget gets made in Rockland: from the treasurer's draft to the board's final vote
A plain-language walk through the steps every Rockland village — from Nyack to Spring Valley — follows before property tax bills go out.
What the Rockland County executive can — and cannot — do
Rockland's county executive proposes the budget, runs county departments and can veto local laws — while the 17-member legislature writes them. How the split works.
What Orangetown's highway department does and how the work gets funded
Plowing, paving, salt and storm drains — inside the Orangetown highway department's budget, who runs it, and where the money comes from.
Ramapo's Zoning Board of Appeals: how to apply for a variance and what happens at the hearing
If a Ramapo property cannot meet the town's zoning rules, the Zoning Board of Appeals can grant a use or area variance — here is the application, notice and hearing process, step by step.