Archive: News

Legislature Adopts Amended 2008 Tentative Budget
With little discussion and no modification, the Legislature, by a vote of 8 to 4, adopted amendments to County Administrator Steve Whicher's 2008 tentative budget and 2008-2012 capital program, as recommended by the Legislature's Expanded Budget Committee over the past month. Legislators Kathy Luz Herrera, Greg Stevenson, Mike Hattery and Frank Proto voted no. (With the resignation of Legislator Dick Booth, the Legislature currently stands at 14 members, and Legislators Mike Sigler and Tyke Randall were absent.) Legislator Luz Herrera attributed her negative vote to the capital program, specifically citing the process which led to selection of the Brown Road site for a new Health Department headquarters.

With the action, this "Legislative Tentative Budget" becomes the basis of budget deliberations. The tentative budget would increase the total tax levy by 2.93 percent, slightly above the Legislature's 2 percent levy increase goal, and would increase the tax rate to $6.87 per thousand dollars assessed valuation, an increase of 1.6 percent.

The Legislature will take public comment on the tentative budget at a public hearing next Tuesday, November 13, beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Legislative Chambers, 320 N. Tioga Street, Ithaca. The Legislature can still amend the tentative budget before the final adoption vote, scheduled November 20.

Special Election Scheduled to Fill Legislature Vacancy
By unanimous vote (with Legislators Sigler and Randall absent), the Legislature scheduled a special election for December 18, 2007 in District 3 (City of Ithaca) to fill the unexpired term of Legislator Dick Booth and directed the Board of Elections to prepare the ballots, voting machines and other matters so that the election may be properly conducted. Mr. Booth's resignation took effect as of noon today, and the special election must be held no later than 75 days from the vacancy date. The new legislator elected will serve through the end of 2009.

Legislature Endorses Bonding for Family and Children's Service Project
The Legislature, by a vote of 11 to 1, approved issuance of up to $4.5 million in tax-exempt county Industrial Development Agency Civic Facility Revenue Bonds to benefit Family and Children's Service of Ithaca. (Legislator Dooley Kiefer voted no; Legislators Sigler and Randall were absent.) The bonds will support acquisition of a half-acre parcel of land, site of the Greenstate building, between the 100 blocks of West State and West Green Streets in the City of Ithaca and expenses related to improving and equipping the renovated building. The project will consolidate the non-profit agency's programs into a single headquarters. The Legislature's action provides the agency access to tax-free bonds under provisions of the federal internal revenue code and does not incur any County financial obligation related to the project.

Additional Funding Approved for OAR Bail Fund
The Legislature, by a vote of 10 to 2, with Legislators Greg Stevenson and Mike Hattery voting no, appropriated $10,000 in contingency funding for the Offender Aid and Restoration bail fund, as recommended by the Expanded Budget Committee during recent budget deliberations. (Legislators Sigler and Randall were absent.) The funding had first been recommended as an addition to the 2008 budget, but then, in light of the agency's reported immediate need, was withdrawn in favor of additional funding this year.

Other Business

Among other business, the Legislature

• Increased by $1,000 the real property tax exemption for individuals age 65 and older and those with disabilities and limited incomes. The vote was 10 to 2, with Legislators Kiefer and Mike Koplinka-Loehr voting no. The annual income limit to qualify for a 50 percent exemption was increased to $27,000. Lesser exemptions are also available, according to sliding scales, for taxpayers in these categories with slightly higher incomes, beginning at a 5 percent exemption level.

• Changed the applicable period each year when landowners may request to have their land added to one of the County's two state-certified Agricultural Districts. The Legislature specified February 1, instead of November 1, as the beginning of the 30-day review period each year when landowners may now seek ag district designation.

• Approved entering into an agreement with the Town of Lansing to execute a Farmland Protection Implementation Grant and Co-Hold of Conservation Easement for the Bensvue Farm in the Town of Lansing, to protect the land from commercial development. A similar agreement covering the Lew-Lin Farm in the Town of Dryden was enacted earlier this year.

• Awarded from the County's Room Occupancy Tax fund $11,000 in grants for tourism-generating projects, $6,000 to the Ithaca Downtown Partnership to support the 2007 Downtown Ithaca Parade of Ice Celebration and $5,000 to the Light in Winter Festival, Inc. for its 2008 festival event. The Legislature also approved $13,100 in Tourism Marketing and Advertising grants from the Room Occupancy Tax Fund, with allocations to the Ithaca Downtown Partnership, Light in Winter, Cayuga Lake Triathlon, Community Arts Partnership and Ithaca Theatre Collective.

• Accepted $80,000 in New York State legislative initiative grant funding and $36,100 in state Homeland Security funding for the Department of Emergency Response, to help support procurement of interoperable radio communications equipment as part of the County's Public Safety Communications System project.

• Authorized the County to enter into an inter-municipal agreement with the City and Town of Ithaca and the Town of Ulysses to proceed with the Route 96 Corridor Study, funded by $25,000 from this year's Planning Department budget, supplemented by $8,000 from each of the other three municipalities. The effort will assist the municipalities in cooperatively planning for corridor development to mitigate impact of future development on transportation infrastructure and existing land use.

• Adopted a 30-year Forest Home Management Plan to provide for sustainable management of County-owned forest land located in the Towns of Newfield and Caroline, supporting pursuit of Forest Certification for those lands, and authorizing the County to contract with a certified forestry consultant to oversee work specified for the first five years of the plan, through 2012.

• Authorized the Municipal Electric and Gas Alliance (MEGA) to bid for gas and electricity on behalf of the County and the inclusion of other political subdivisions and districts within the state. The measure was approved by a 10-2 vote, with Legislators Kiefer and Pamela Mackesey dissenting. Ms. Kiefer had unsuccessfully sought to amend the resolution to request a bid option be included based on maximum generation from renewable sources.

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