Highlights of the 11/19/204 meeting of the Legislature

Published on December 02, 2024

The 2025 Tompkins County Budget and 2025-2029 Tompkins County Capital Program were adopted by a vote of 9-5 (Legislators Greg Mezey (D-Dryden), Lee Shurtleff (R-Groton), Mike Sigler (R-Lansing), Travis Brooks (D-Ithaca), and Randy Brown (R-Newfield), opposed). The vote follows a recent public hearing, the budget is adopted as a local law.

The 2025 budget will result in a tax-levy increase of 2.72%, which is equal to the Tompkins County adjusted tax cap (calculated according to New York State’s formula). This equals an increase of approximately $115.79 on a median priced home assessed in 2024 at $300,000, or a Tompkins County tax payment of approximately $1,438. The tax rate of $4.79 per $1,000 of assessed value amounts to a rate decrease of approximately 9.79%, and a net increase of 7% in local spending.

Several amendments were made before the final adoption. $94,371 was earmarked in the 2025 contingency fund to fund a GIS analyst position in the Information Technology Services Department by a vote of 10-4 (Legislators Mike Lane (D-Dryden), Greg Mezey (D-Dryden), Lee Shurtleff (R-Groton), and Mike Sigler (R-Lansing) opposed).

The resolution adopting the budget was amended following a report of staff miscalculations on County’s tax cap. The previously accepted number of a 4.45% tax levy increase as the tax cap was amended to 2.72% following new calculations.

An amendment proposed by Rich John and approved unanimously (14-0) resulted in $150,000 from the County’s fund balance being used to move the County under the newly agreed-upon tax cap of a 2.72% levy increase. Legislator Lee Shurtleff (R-Groton) further proposed that the levy increase be lowered to 2%, that amendment failed 7-7 (Legislators Rich John (D-Ithaca), Anne Koreman (D-Ulysses), Mike Lane (D-Dryden), Shawna Black (D-Ithaca), Amanda Champion (D-Ithaca), Susan Currie (D-Ithaca), and Deborah Dawson (D-Lansing) opposed).

Among Other Business

Legislator Amanda Champion (D-Ithaca) opposed several advisory board appointments, stating her discomfort appointing people she doesn’t know to boards advising the Legislature. Legislator Deborah Dawson (D-Lansing) said that she believes the larger issue is that there are many such boards with several members each, therefore “it is not feasible for the Legislature to be personally involved in vetting everyone,” an initial slate of appointments passed 13-1 (Legislator Champion opposed). Advisory Board appointments to the Library’s Board of Trustees were also opposed by Champion (13-1).