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The Legislature’s Government Operations Committee has recommended that the Legislature accept, but not adopt, recommendations of a County work group following a four-month study of how the County’s decade-old Livable Wage Policy should apply to County contracts.  The committee’s decision would give the County Administrator time to apply procedural guidance established by the work group as part of that report before taking a more formal action to either adopt or amend the work group’s several recommendations.

The work group report recommends the 2003 policy remain in place without modification, as a statement of the Legislature’s aspirational goals, with procedures put in place to ensure consistent interpretation and application of the policy, and to establish accountability for performance.  It  recommends, in part, that the policy apply only to service contracts involving over $50,000 per year in County funds, that certain types of employees and positions be exempted, with criteria used to determine whether it is “reasonable and practical” to incorporate the living wage standard into a contract.

Tompkins County is a living wage employer, with all County employees earning the Living Wage, as calculated by Alternatives Federal Credit Union.  County Administrator Joe Mareane, who convened the work group, has stressed that Tompkins County was a living wage leader when the policy was established a decade ago, and remains committed to the policy.

Committee members, meeting September 24, cited many positive elements of the report—including the need for balance between the living wage goal and other goals, such as that of an affordable government; that only county service contracts are at issue; and that there should be ongoing active dialogue to encourage contractors to pay living wages.  The report also improves knowledge regarding compliance and establishes accountability for performance.

The committee, however, concluded it would be premature to adopt the recommendations now, which would preclude different, and perhaps more aggressive, approaches to attaining the living wage goal, and advises that any firm decisions be delayed until more precise information is available concerning impacts.  With the County Administrator responsible for determining implementation of Legislative policy, and noting that relevant procedures have been recommended by the work group, the committee recommends that, based on experience with 2014 contracts and information gathered as part of that process, the Administrator be directed to report to committee by July 2014 with any recommended changes to the County’s Livable Wage Policy.

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