Published on June 26, 2025
Tompkins County seeks proposals for a consultant to provide expert guidance and technical assistance in studying the impacts of establishing a local law that sets a countywide minimum wage higher than the State minimum wage. Interested consultants must document relevant expertise in this field, experience working with a variety of stakeholders to develop and present findings for policy making, and their proposed approach and method for the specified project. Interested bidders are encouraged to visit the Purchasing Division web page and click ‘Open Solicitations’ for more information. Bidders who do not have, or cannot obtain, Internet access must contact the Tompkins County Purchasing Division via email (preferred) or by telephone at (607) 274-5500 for further instructions. The deadline for submissions is July 25, 2025 at 2 pm.
The selected consultant will work under the direction of the Housing and Economic Development Committee of the Legislature, County Administrator, and County Attorney, and collaborate with other key community stakeholders. Impacts that shall be explored include differences in the cost of living and types of wage-related challenges in different regions of the County, potential impacts of a County-only minimum wage on the economy near the County border, variation across industries, special exemptions or considerations for certain services, consequences of wage compression or avoiding wage compression, indirect costs to the community or government of less than living wages, calculations and methodology for annual adjustments, and enforcement provisions. This is a time-limited project set to occur over approximately 6-9 months.
In 2024, the Tompkins County Legislature, via adopted resolution (Exploration of a Tompkins County Minimum Wage), allocated funding for professional services to complete a study of the impacts of a change to the Tompkins County minimum wage. This initiative reflects the strategic priority “Economic Opportunity and Quality of Life” from the 2024-2029 Strategic Operations Plan.
The current minimum wage of $15.50 per hour in Tompkins County is set by New York State. A living wage, calculated by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is defined as the hourly rate an individual in a household must earn to support themselves and/or their family while working full-time, and is estimated at $25.35 per hour for a single adult with no children. Locally, a 2025 report from researchers at the Cornell University Industrial and Labor Relations School estimated $24.82 per hour as the living wage for such an individual, a 34.5% increase over the last two years. Roughly 23,000 workers living in Tompkins County earn less than the living wage, according to the report.
Legislator Veronica Pillar (D-Ithaca), the sponsor of the 2024 resolution, stated that “the commitment to exploring a countywide minimum wage has been a strategic priority for the County, and all implications need to be considered before we determine a path forward.”
Legislator Greg Mezey (D-Dryden), Chair of the Housing and Economic Development Committee, is “looking forward to working with the Committee, staff, and stakeholders to move this initiative forward and carefully assess the best possible outcome for workers and businesses.”
County Administrator Korsah Akumfi stated, “Last year, the Legislature committed to leading the way and exploring this issue. Considering the recent living wage report, it is timely to study the potential impacts of increasing the minimum wage in Tompkins County.”