Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3)
Bill Talbot, TC3’s Chief Financial Officer presented the college’s “Strategic Funding Requests.” The objectives of the requests are to establish a multi-year operating and capital funding model while the college rebuilds its core enrollments. The requests include reoccurring capital funding for emergency deferred maintenance and reoccurring operating funding, both based on a recently completed needs assessment. The total recommended budget is $3.45 million, $152,349 lower than in 2022. Roughly $3 million is the target budget, with just under $427,000 in over target requests including technology upgrades, the workforce and career development pilot program, and the County’s share of the local match for other SUNY infrastructure upgrades.
This is the first time that TC3 is going through the budget cycle in this way, due to their 3-5 year business planning efforts. Legislator Deborah Dawson (D-Lansing) thanked Talbot for TC3 being proactive and bringing the budget forth in this manner.
Talbott reported that TC3 is one of three SUNY Community Colleges that had a core enrollment increase in the fall of 2022.
Tompkins County Veterans Services Department
J.R. Clairborne, Director of the Veterans Services Department presented his $221,062 budget, and an $8,000 memorials budget (primarily support for parades and Flag Day activities, as well as flags marking graves on Memorial Day). The budget includes an over target request for a Veterans Services Officer position.
Clairborne detailed the department’s benefits and impacts for local military veterans and families, including how he connects individuals to different services and resources available locally and regionally.
Tompkins County Office for the Aging
Staff from the Tompkins County Office for the Aging presented their department’s $1 million recommended 2023 budget. Director of the department, Lisa Monroe presented on the programs administered, and dozens of contracts and funding streams that make up the department’s activities.
Monroe spoke about the goal to strengthen the informal caregiver resources and supports offered, and the need to further address the ongoing home health aide shortage. The department began to directly provide home health aide services in 2021. The department is also working on new initiatives to help address social isolation among older adults.
SPCA
Jim Boudreau, Director of the Tompkins County SPCA presented the agency’s $33,708 budget supported by the county to subsidize the spay and neuter program.
The SPCA’s animal intake has decreased from around 2,000 animals to around 1,300 over the past decade, due in part to spay and neuter programs put in place by the SPCA. Boudreau also shared that in the last ten years the SPCA has spayed or neutered over 19,000 animals in Tompkins County as part of the effort to control the unwanted pet population. The SPCA also administers rabies vaccine to help reduce incidence and spread in the animal population.
Tompkins County Public Library (TCPL)
Teresa Vadakin, Acting Director of TCPL presented the recommended 2023 budget supported by Tompkins County, totaling $4 million, with a $429,000 increase from 2022. Tompkins County makes up just over 85% of the library’s total budget. Over target requests are for improved security services ($57,000) and staff restoration ($279,863) which will help offer more outreach from the library to “meet the community where they are.”
Vadakin detailed the Sunday hours supported by the 2021 County funding, including 2,200 visitors over 8 Sundays this spring. The library has been able to increase to 40 full time equivalent staff members. Vadakin also detailed outreach and partnerships that bring the best of the library to different parts of the community, including literacy programs at the Tompkins County Jail, sensory story time, walking tours, and story time featuring Chinese language resources at a local apartment complex.
Human Services Coalition
Cindy Wilcox, Executive Director, and John Mazzello, Deputy Director presented the 2023 recommended Human Services Coalition budget totaling $514,067. Over target requests for the department were for the positions of a Housing Specialist and Data Specialist, both of which are recommended to be covered by American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The Coalition also presented a recommended budget to support nearly 20 not-for-profit community agencies is for $1.28 million.
The agencies supported by the County through the Coalition go through an application process that begins in April of each year. The Coalition has a funding review committee that looks at the applications and recommends funding. Mazzello reported that for 2023 the City of Ithaca’s share of support to agencies is $421,000 based on sales tax collections.
Wilcox cited major influences on this year’s budget requests, including sustained and elevated needs from pandemic impacts, workforce recruitment and retention challenges, and rising costs due to inflation.
Mazzello detailed several over target requests, including case management at the Endeavor House ($20,000), administrative aspects of the Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services’ Minor Repair Program ($19,000), and a parolee/housing case manager position for OAR (Opportunities, Alternatives and Resources) ($50,000). Other over target request includes continued funding for case management of the Sunflower House program helping 12 individuals re-entering the community from incarceration ($69,472), a tax preparation program helping around 1,500 low-income individuals ($20,000), increased literacy programming at Tompkins Learning Partners ($23,619), and food programming for individuals experiencing homelessness at the Southside Community Center ($25,000).
Legislator Veronica Pillar (D-Ithaca) inquired about the Southside food programming, asking why the recommended funding is at $25,000 whereas the request was for $54,000. County Administrator Lisa Holmes responded that it was recommended as one time as a new program and that there were questions around economies of scale working with other pantries rather than buying food at retail prices. Holmes also shared that the data gathered on costs and number of people served would be gathered in its first year. Southside Deputy Director Kayla Matos reported that the program began as a pilot this year with Ithaca Bakery and there was sustained need from the community.
Tompkins County Office of Human Rights
Dr. Ken Clarke, Director of the Office of Human Rights presented his department’s $327,572 budget, up $55,016 from 2022, the department has 2.5 full time equivalent employees. A $40,000 over target request is being made to continue efforts to engage nationally known speakers in local programming, including the annual Juneteenth celebration speaker. There are generally monthly programs offered by the Office.
To view past Human Rights Education Series events, visit: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0FoCrvXrxA2dDXASypQTqSZ6uMoGXCEL
Tompkins County Youth Services Department
Kate Shanks-Booth, Director of the Youth Services Department presented the department’s $1.3 million budget, with an $85,291 increase from 2022. A $55,000 over target request to help stabilize the municipal youth services system would help local municipalities to regain funding that has decreased in recent years by as much as 12% while costs are increasing. Another over target request for $30,000 would support local agencies helping to meet the needs of youth in the community who are contracted by the Department.
Shanks Booth also presented the Recreation Partnership budget, totaling $85,272.
Tompkins County Recycling and Materials Management Department
Barb Eckstrom, who is in her 37th year as the Director of the Department presented the $9.1 million recommended budget, which is supported by fees such as the annual solid waste fee and other revenues generated by the department, rather than through property taxes. The annual solid waste fee will go up by $5, from $75 to $80, making up around $4.6 million of the Department’s total budget.
Last year the Department’s work supported the recycling of around 13,300 tons of recyclables. Eckstrom also spoke about food scraps drop spots and hazardous materials programming, as well as the Department’s activities to decrease contamination of recycled materials, which is down to under 4%, helping to make the materials more likely to sell in the recycled materials market.
For more information on the recommended 2023 Tompkins County Budget, visit: https://tompkinscountyny.gov/news/highlights-september-6-2022-meeting-tompkins-county-legislature