Highlights of the 9/1/26 Tompkins County Legislature meeting
Published on September 02, 2026
Watch the meeting recording on YouTube
Jump to discussions on specific agenda items on the Meeting Portal
Topics included:
- County Administrator presents 2027 Recommended Budget
- Authorized use of Tax Stabilization Reserve
- Held public hearings on Animal Abuse Registry and CDBG assistance
- Established Animal Abuse Registry
County Administrator presents 2027 Recommended Budget
County Administrator Korsah Akumfi presented the 2027 Recommended Budget to the Tompkins County Legislature. The proposal represents the starting point for the Legislature’s review and deliberations over the coming weeks, not the final budget.
The Recommended Budget totals approximately $307.8 million across all county funds. Of that, approximately $270.9 million is in the General Fund, the county’s primary operating fund, which supports most county government services and operations. The remainder of the total budget is contained in other funds established for specific purposes, such as highways, the airport, recycling and materials management, economic development, and debt service.
During the administrative review process, more than $6 million in requested spending across major funds was reduced or deferred before the Recommended Budget was presented.
The Recommended Budget proposes a $63.7 million property tax levy, an increase of approximately 11.96% from the 2026 adopted levy of $56.9 million.
The Administrator initially recommended a $65.3 million levy, using $1.6 million from the County’s Tax Stabilization Reserve to reduce the amount to be raised through property taxes to $63.7 million. The legislature unanimously approved use of the $1.6 million tax stabilization reserve later in the meeting.
The proposed county property tax rate is $5.44 per $1,000 of taxable assessed value, compared with $4.90 in 2026.
For a home assessed at the county’s median single-family home value of $290,000, the Recommended Budget would result in an estimated $168 increase in the annual county property tax bill. For commercial property assessed at the median value of $460,000, the increase is estimated at $250.
The Recommended Budget identifies several significant pressures behind the proposed levy increase. Many reflect the increasing cost of maintaining existing services and financial commitments rather than adding new programs.
Restoring recurring revenue. One of the largest factors is the County’s reduced ability to rely on fund balance to support ongoing expenses. In the 2026 budget, approximately $4.6 million in unassigned fund balance was used to help limit that year’s property tax levy increase. That reduced the immediate impact on taxpayers but did not eliminate the underlying recurring costs. The county’s unassigned fund balance is now below the legislature’s policy target of 25% of prior-year expenditures. The 2027 Recommended Budget therefore seeks to rely more heavily on recurring revenues to support recurring expenses rather than continuing to draw down reserves.
Rising employee benefit costs. The cost of maintaining the county’s existing workforce is also increasing substantially. Health insurance costs are projected to increase by 16% to 18% in 2027, following an 18% increase in 2026. Pension costs are also increasing. Together with other benefits, these pressures require the county to increase the amount budgeted for employee fringe benefits. At the same time, the Recommended Budget does not propose an expansion of the county workforce. It includes 844 full-time-equivalent positions, 13 fewer than in 2026.
State and federal cost shifts and mandated services. The county is also absorbing increased costs associated with services it is required to provide. For example, beginning in federal fiscal year 2027, the federal reimbursement rate for eligible SNAP administrative expenses will decrease from 50% to 25%. Based on current estimates, that change is expected to increase Tompkins County’s local share of SNAP administration by approximately $740,000. This represents a shift in who pays for an existing mandated service rather than an expansion of the service.
Other mandated cost pressures include approximately $546,000 in increased childcare costs. The county also estimates an increase of nearly $500,000 for court-ordered psychiatric evaluations and related services, costs that are mandated by State law and largely outside the county’s control.
Investing in county infrastructure. The Recommended Budget also continues investment in capital assets after several years of deferring some projects. Over the past 10 years, the county has postponed approximately $15 million in capital needs across facilities, infrastructure, and vehicles and equipment replacement. Continued deferral can increase long-term costs, create safety and liability risks, and reduce service reliability. The Recommended Budget includes $38.3 million in capital investment, supported through a combination of property taxes, grants, reserves, and borrowing.
The 11.96% proposed levy increase is significant, but it is also lower than where the budget process began. Simply continuing current services at existing levels, the county’s initial Maintenance of Effort estimate indicated a need for approximately $9.88 million in additional property tax levy, or about 17.56%. Initial department requests resulted in a property tax requirement of nearly $71 million before the County Administrator’s review. Following reductions, deferrals, updated revenue estimates, and the use of $1.6 million from the Tax Stabilization Reserve, the Recommended Budget brings the levy to approximately $63.7 million, or an 11.96% increase.
Expanded Budget Committee (EBC) meetings start this week
The Expanded Budget Committee (EBC) is made up of the full Legislature and provides an opportunity for legislators to examine the Recommended Budget in detail. Legislators hear directly from county departments and funded community agencies, ask questions about services and funding requests, review recommendations made by the County Administrator, and consider potential changes to the budget.
The first EBC meetings are September 2 and 3, beginning at 5 p.m. in the Legislative Chambers. Meetings are open to the public and will also be livestreamed on the County’s YouTube channel.
As the legislature reviews the Recommended Budget, residents can focus on the questions being asked, the services and funding requests being discussed, and the choices legislators are considering.
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Other business
The legislature held a public hearing on a proposed local law establishing a Tompkins County Animal Abuse Registry. Several members of the public spoke. The registry is intended to help prevent people convicted of animal cruelty offenses from acquiring or adopting animals by making information about those individuals available to animal sellers and adoption organizations. Later in the meeting, the legislature approved the Local Law establishing the Animal Abuse Registry.
The legislature held a public hearing on potential 2026 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) applications. One member of the public spoke. Housing and Community Development Director David West explained that the county is preparing to apply for funding to support housing rehabilitation for low- and moderate-income homeowners outside the City of Ithaca.
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