Highlights of the Legislature’s Expanded Budget Committee Meeting

After concluding department and agency budget presentations at six previous Expanded Budget Committee (EBC) meetings, this is the first of three EBC ‘voting sessions,’ during which legislators can propose and vote on changes to the County Administrator’s Recommended Budget. Changes made at EBC meetings are recommendations that will have to be approved by the full legislature to take effect. Below is a list of amendments that were voted on during the Oct. 2 meeting. After this first voting session, the budget amendments changed the tax levy from 4.5% as proposed in the Administrator’s Recommended Budget to 4.74%.

Amendment 1 – Airport

Legislator Black (D-Ithaca Town) moved to remove $371,000 in Airport funding from the tax levy, which passed 8-6, with Legislators Lane (D-Dryden), Koreman (D-Ulysses, Enfield, Ithaca), Mezey (D-Dryden), Shurtleff (R-Groton, Dryden, Lansing), Brown (R-Newfield, Enfield), and Sigler (R-Lansing) opposed. Legislators opposed referred to the airport as an economic driver and the need to lower the cost of enplanement to compete with other small, regional airports. Legislators in favor noted the importance of the airport, but also highlighted other significant needs in various areas that the county is mandated to support.

Amendment 2 – Airport

Legislator Black (D-Ithaca Town) moved to remove $500,000 in Airport funding from the room tax reserves, which passed 12-2, with Legislator Sigler (R-Lansing) and Legislator Brown (R-Newfield, Enfield) opposed. Legislators in favor pointed to the importance of maintaining this reserve for times of tourism revenue declines, as experienced during the pandemic.

Amendment 25 – Airport

Legislator Black (D-Ithaca Town) proposed reducing the projected additional sales tax revenue from short-term rentals from $1.1 million to $500,000 to fund the Airport. Legislator Champion (D-Ithaca Town) tried to amend the proposal to remove the full $1.1 million, but it was defeated 12-1. Legislator Mezey (D-Dryden) proposed an amendment to lower the funding from $1.1 million to $853,200, which was approved 10-4, with Legislators Klein (D-Danby, Caroline, Ithaca), Dawson (D-Lansing, Cayuga Heights), Champion (D-Ithaca Town), and Black (D-Ithaca Town) opposing. The final amount provides only minimal support to the Airport, covering a portion of the debt service. This limited level of funding creates a significant risk in maintaining and growing current airline service.

Amendment 38 – Airport

Legislator Klein (D-Danby, Caroline, Ithaca) proposed changing the funding sources for Amendment 25 to lessen the impact on the county’s tax levy by using revenue from the room occupancy tax—generated by hotel room stays—to cover part of the cost. Klein’s motion suggested funding $500,000 from sales tax and $353,200 from room tax revenue instead of relying solely on the tax levy. An alternative amendment was introduced to fund $603,000 from sales tax and $250,200 from room tax revenue, but it ultimately failed by a vote of 6–8, with Legislators Lane (D-Dryden), Pillar (D-Ithaca City), Koreman (D-Ulysses, Enfield, Ithaca), Mezey (D-Dryden), Brooks (D-Ithaca City), Black (D-Ithaca Town), Champion (D-Ithaca Town), and Dawson (D-Lansing, Cayuga Heights) opposed.

Amendment 18 – TCAT

Legislator Black (D-Ithaca Town) moved to increase TCAT funding from the tax levy by $500,000 if other underwriters support the increase as described in the three-way agreement. Legislator Brown (R-Newfield, Enfield) moved to reduce the proposed increase to $250,000, but the motion was defeated 12-1. The original motion passed 12-1, with Legislator Shurtleff (R-Groton, Dryden, Lansing) opposed. Legislators discussed the importance of investing in public transportation and maintaining service and routes.

Amendment 12 – Planning and Sustainability

Legislator Koreman (D-Ulysses, Enfield, Ithaca) moved to increase membership dues for the Cayuga Lake Watershed Intermunicipal Fund by $3,722, which passed unanimously.

Amendment 14 – Sheriff’s Office

Legislator Black (D-Ithaca Town) moved to add $165,590 for two corrections officers to the Sheriff’s Office budget, which passed unanimously. This addition was required by the New York State Department of Corrections to meet mandated staffing levels.

Added Amendment – Sheriff’s Office

Legislator John (D-Ithaca City) moved to cut the overtime budget request in the Corrections Division in half ($44,488), which passed unanimously. Sheriff Osborne noted that with additional corrections officers, the overtime budget could be reduced.

Amendment 29 – Planning and Sustainability

Legislator Mezey (D-Dryden) moved to transfer $2,000 for the Poet Laureate stipend to the Tourism Grant Program, which passed unanimously.

Amendment 22 – Planning and Sustainability

Legislator Dawson (D-Lansing, Cayuga Heights) moved to remove one-time funding to hire a consultant to assist with developing a housing strategy. After some discussion, a suggestion was made to seek IDA funding for this study, and Dawson withdrew the amendment.

Amendment 31 – Department of Emergency Response

Legislator Klein (D-Danby, Caroline, Ithaca) moved to restore $29,550 training stipend and premium pay per contractual obligation, which passed unanimously.

Amendment 10– Department of Emergency Response

Legislator Black (D-Ithaca Town) proposed to restore the request for an $8,262 increase in 911 Center training for the Department of Emergency Response, which passed 13-1, with Legislator Champion (D-Ithaca Town) opposed. It was noted that 911 personnel need to complete training requirements to maintain their certifications.

Amendment 8– Department of Emergency Response

Legislator Black (D-Ithaca Town) moved to add $99,378 for one dispatcher in the 911 Center, which passed 13-1, with Legislator Shurtleff (R-Groton, Dryden, Lansing) opposed.

Amendment 9– Department of Emergency Response

Legislator Black (D-Ithaca Town) proposed to add $123,809 for one peer support coordinator, which failed 7-7, with Legislators Lane (D-Dryden), Klein (D-Danby, Caroline, Ithaca), John (D-Ithaca City), Brown (R-Newfield, Enfield), Brooks (D-Ithaca City), Champion (D-Ithaca Town), and Dawson (D-Lansing, Cayuga Heights) opposed.