The Tompkins County Legislature, by unanimous vote, formally adopted amendments to the County Administrator’s 2020 Recommended Budget and the 2020-2024 Capital Program, as recommended by the Expanded Budget Committee.
The amended budget would increase the County tax levy by 2.75%, just under the initial 2.76% in the Administrator’s budget. The recommended county-wide average tax rate of $6.31 per thousand is 10 cents less than 2019 (a decrease of 1.59%). The amended budget would represent an increase of $12.69 in the tax bill for the median-valued $190,000 home. (Legislator Rich John proposed a wording change in the resolution, which was accepted, to clarify that the increased tax payment for a median-priced home increased, despite the tax rate decrease, since the median home price increased by $5,000 since the 2019 budget was prepared.) The Tentative Budget also includes a $2 increase in the County’s annual Solid Waste Fee, to $60.
Legislature Chair Martha Robertson expressed thanks to staff for their hard work during the budget process. “I really appreciate the work and I really appreciate the process,” she said, calling it “a logical expression of our values and our goals.”
The amended package, now known as the Tentative Budget, replaces Administrator Jason Molino’s recommended budget as the basis of budget deliberations, and will be sent on to public hearing Tuesday, October 29, 7:00 p.m., at Legislature Chambers in the Governor Daniel D. Tompkins Building, 121 E. Court Street (second floor), Ithaca. The Legislature’s final budget adoption vote is scheduled November 7, and changes may still be made prior to final adoption.
The Recommended Budget, all amendments to the Recommended Budget, and other information regarding the 2020 budget process, are available for review online at the County website at www.TompkinsCountyNY.gov/ctyadmin/2020budget .