Highlights of the 9/4/25 Expanded Budget Committee meeting
Published on September 08, 2025
Chair’s introductory remarks and guidance on the 2026 budget process
Following the presentation of the county administrator’s recommended budget on September 2, Legislator Mike Lane (D-Dryden) chaired the first of several scheduled meetings of the Expanded Budget Committee (EBC). Explaining what residents can expect over the coming weeks, Legislator Lane noted that the EBC was established in the early 1990s, allowing all legislators, not just a small budget panel, to hear department presentations and help shape the budget as a “committee of the whole,” rather than voting later with limited information.
Legislator Lane emphasized that the early part of the process features short, focused presentations from the administration, county departments, and agencies, followed by clarifying questions, rather than speeches or debate. Policy discussions and any changes to the administrator’s recommended budget happen in later voting sessions. Lane also highlighted a budget forum scheduled for the end of September, allowing constituents to comment before legislators begin voting on amendments.
To keep meetings moving, Legislator Lane reviewed a few ground rules: actions in EBC are taken by a majority of members present; an EBC motion can be amended once (since it’s already an amendment), though a new motion can always adjust amounts later; and while attendance isn’t mandatory, recent years have seen near-universal participation. He underscored the EBC’s advisory role to the full legislature: “The EBC only proposes amendments to the administrator’s budget that can be changed later by the full legislature.” Acknowledging the tough choices ahead, he said budgets are built from the best data available but always involve judgment. As he put it, “There is always a lot more will than there is wallet.”
Finally, Legislator Lane thanked the administrator, finance, the clerk of the legislature, and public information staff, emphasizing their roles in scheduling, record-keeping, and keeping the public apprised to make the process a true example of transparency.
Understanding the 2026 recommended Tompkins County budget
- The recommended operating budget totals $240 million, with revenues comprising primarily of local property taxes (levy), sales tax receipts, and state and federal funding.
- The proposed total property tax levy is $57 million, which is $2.5 million, or 4.5%, higher than in 2025.
- If passed, this would result in a 4.5% tax levy increase and a $37 increase in the property tax bill for the owner of a median-priced ($300,000) home.
- Departmental and agency budgets can be found in the 2026 recommended budget in the respective drop-down menus.
- As part of this budget development process, all departments and funded not-for-profit agencies were asked to submit a budget outlining their maintenance of effort calculations (funding required to maintain existing programs and services) and enhancement requests (additional funds for new positions and/or programming).
- In the recommended budget, the county administrator delineates for each department which enhancement requests could be supported and which ones could not due to fiscal constraints. Departments and agencies can detail these requests during presentations to the EBC, and they are for the legislature to consider when voting on the budget.
- Any increases to the recommended budget, if not offset by reductions in other areas, will result in a tax levy increase.
- Highlights of the EBC meetings, especially the voting sessions, focus on enhancement requests or significant changes proposed by departments, agencies, and legislators during the budget process. In addition to these discussions, the legislature can also add or reduce programs that are not included in the county administrator’s recommendation.
- EBC meetings are livestreamed and can be attended in person. There is no privilege of the floor for the public during these meetings. The next EBC meetings are scheduled for September 10 and 11, starting at 5 pm.
Department presentations
County Historian Carol Kammen opened with an update on the Historical Commission’s publications. During Q&A, Legislator Shawna Black (D-Ithaca Town) asked about a discrepancy between the Historical Commission’s request to restore funding to $8,500, an enhancement of $795, and the $7,622 included by the county administrator in the recommended budget. Legislator Deborah Dawson (D-Lansing, Cayuga Heights) also asked the administration to reconcile lines that showed a prior $10,000 stipend for the historian and a $12,000 program-expense line, which did not align with the enhancement narrative. Administration acknowledged a posting error in the recommended budget that will be corrected to reflect the requested and supported $10,000 for County Historian program expenses and $8,500 for Historical Commission program expenses.
Commissioners Stephen DeWitt and Alanna Congdon described a maintenance-of-effort plan with no enhancement requests. They noted a 7% increase in voter management and software fees and said they trimmed computer and office equipment lines to keep the budget balanced; revenues from village and school elections are projected to rise about 5%. Legislator Shawna Black (D-Ithaca Town) asked about the consolidated “Other” expense line increasing from $43,830 in 2025 to $66,750 in 2026, which mainly stemmed from a projected increase in postage costs ($23,000) for the 2026 election year.
Commissioner Katie Borgella, joined by Deputy Commissioner Megan McDonald, presented the department’s budget, noting that most local costs are personnel and that the department manages substantial pass-through grant revenues, shown with matching expenditures. She clarified that Tourism and Transportation Planning have separate budgets within the overall department.
Enhancements and maintenance-of-effort items discussed included several membership dues: ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability rising by $950 (from $2,250 to $3,200), supported in the recommended budget; a Southern Tier 8 dues increase of $244, supported; and a phased Cayuga Lake Watershed Intermunicipal Organization (CLWIO) dues request of about $3,700 toward a higher 2028 target, not supported in the recommended budget. Staff travel and training was requested to move from $500 to $800 per employee for 10 FTEs; the recommended budget partially supports this at $4,000 total based on recent actuals. The department also requested restoring the Poet Laureate stipend to $2,000 (a $500 increase from 2025), which is supported in the recommended budget.
Tourism Program Director Nick Helmholdt noted the reinstatement of the Tourism Capital Grant program at $250,000. Increasing the tourism director’s hours from 35 to 40 hours a week was supported ($16,959). The county administrator also proposed reallocating $500,000 of room tax dollars to support airport operations. The program director’s recommendation was to utilize room tax reserves in 2026.
In response to questions from Legislator Randy Brown (R-Newfield, Enfield), Helmholdt said that as of May, the program had approximately $1.3 million in reserves, with roughly $700,000 already obligated. The $500,000 transfer proposed in the recommended budget would effectively deplete the remaining balance. He added, answering Legislator Rich John (D-Ithaca City), that the reserve was built up after COVID to buffer volatility in room-tax collections and to honor grant and contract commitments if revenues come in short. The long-term goal set by the Strategic Tourism Planning Board was to hold roughly 25% of annual room-tax revenues (approximately $1 million) in reserve.
Consequences of depleting the reserve were also discussed. There is no plan to rebuild it in 2026 without cutting other tourism programs, and the earliest opportunity to begin replenishment would be during the 2027 budget process. Legislator Greg Mezey (D-Dryden) cautioned against drawing down the reserve, noting prior legislative direction to build it and suggesting short-term rental sales-tax growth as a more sustainable source for airport support.
Chief Transportation Officer Frank Doldo presented the Transportation Planning budget, outlining how most program costs are reimbursed by outside sources and describing targeted enhancements for mobility services ($12,222) that were supported. Federal revenue is projected to increase from $723,000 to $1,491,000, reflecting additional grant-supported work. Travel and training are budgeted at $45,000 and are fully reimbursed through the State, with no local share. This accommodates required federal and state compliance training for new and existing staff.
County Clerk Maureen Reynolds, joined by Deputy County Clerk Rachel Graham, outlined core services of the County Clerk’s Office and DMV, noted strong recent recording activity (including real estate transfer tax receipts), and flagged a federal policy change affecting voter registration at local naturalization ceremonies.
Reynolds asked to reinstate a $3,000 request for a scanner to reduce customer wait times. She indicated the item had been handled within the office’s fiscal target request, but was not carried into the recommended budget.
Clerk of the Legislature Katrina McCloy presented the Legislature and Clerk’s Office budget, which is funded entirely by local dollars. She noted the office will support 16 legislators next year with four office staff, and higher costs are expected as new members are onboarded. A $14,500 increase for staff training ($500) and legislature travel and training for 16 legislators ($14,000) was supported. A $1,500 reduction in printing cost was included in the recommended budget.
Tompkins County Deputy Administrator Norma Jayne detailed the 2026 Capital Plan budget, which covers facilities and other physical infrastructure owned by the county. Proposed capital improvements included in the recommended budget:
Ithaca International Airport
- $252,858 for the construction of a new Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) and Snow Removal Equipment (SRE) building ($221,608), updates to the baggage claim carousel ($6,250), and canopy-covered access road, electric charging stations, and solar panels ($25,000).
- The local share for these projects is paid for through passenger charges, not the tax levy, and leverages roughly $10.5 million in State and federal funds.
Department of Emergency Response
- $350,000 for emergency response tower upgrades was not supported in the recommended budget.
Facilities
- $700,000 for facilities restoration is supported in the recommended budget ($1,400,000 requested).
- Facilities Director Arel LeMaro cautioned about deferred maintenance for unfunded projects.
- A $5,500,000 request for the public safety building was not supported. This project is planned to begin after the Center of Government building.
- Legislator Anne Koreman (D-Ulysses, Enfield, Ithaca) noted that the capital plan does not outline the projects that were recommended but not supported.
Highway
- An $840,000 tax levy will support bridge projects, road maintenance, and highway machinery. This funding will leverage $5.5 million in bonding for road maintenance and highway machinery, as well as more than $10 million in bridge projects, partially supported through State and federal funding.
Information Technology Services
- $411,000 for infrastructure replacement and maintenance was supported.
Planning and Sustainability
- $680,450 for fleet management was supported ($1,581,581 requested).
- Chief Sustainability Officer Terry Carroll cautioned that this is the third year of funding cuts, which negatively impact the fleet replacement schedule and repair costs.
Recycling and Materials Management
- $709,878 for landfill site improvements ($345,811) and Recycling and Solid Waste Center upgrades ($364,067), which are covered by the department’s revenues.