Residents in Tompkins County can expect a large postcard arriving in mailboxes this November as part of a new initiative to inform the public about services offered by the County Government. The mailer and its companion webpage (tompkinscountyny.gov/services) detail how residents can access County services and learn more about what County departments do in support of the community.
Services on the mailer and webpage are listed in the areas of:
A printable resident checklist has also been published and will be available at County offices.
Residents who are not able to access the internet are encouraged to dial 2-1-1 (or 1-877-211-8667) for quick connections to local services and information. A listing of all County departments remains available (tompkinscountyny.gov/departments).
Tompkins County Administrator Lisa Holmes stated, “The goal of this initiative is to put services that the County offers front and center. We want to reduce the time it takes to find the information that you’re looking for while promoting things people might not know about yet.” Holmes added, “Every day, County staff help people access benefits, find jobs, access mental healthcare, respond to emergencies, keep our community safe and healthy, maintain local infrastructure – and so much more. I hope that residents will find this initiative useful, explore our services, and share information with friends and family.”
Tompkins County Legislator Amanda Champion added, “Helping the community understand what our local government provides is crucial. This is ultimately about increasing and encouraging access to the services already available to people in our community. As elected legislators, we often hear about how we can do more to inform residents about what the County has to offer. This initiative gets that information out there in a new and engaging format.” Champion continued, “I encourage everyone to bookmark the new webpage and take the time to go through the resident checklist, you’ll learn new things about our community and how to be a more engaged and informed member of the public.” Legislator Champion chairs the Legislature’s Government Operations Committee.
Tompkins County Communications Director Dominick Recckio said, “Tompkins County has made strides in rethinking and improving how we communicate with the public, from our streaming of Legislature meetings and video production, to launching dozens of useful email newsletters received by thousands of residents. I’m grateful to our Legislature for prioritizing access to public information and supporting new ways of reaching the public.” Recckio continued, “I look forward to continuing to find new and innovative ways to serve the community by increasing access to public information.”
Tompkins County invites community ideas to increase and improve public information efforts. If you have ideas, please share them with us at tcgov.co/piabideas or email pubinfo@tompkins-co.org.