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The Legislature’s Government Operations Committee today received the report from a four-month-long study of a County work group that examined the County’s Livable Wage policy, in effect for the past decade.

The County’s 2003 Livable Wage policy encourages, but does not mandate, the payment of a livable wages to employees of County contractors, most of those not-for-profit human services agencies. The review was initiated following questions earlier this year regarding application of the policy and the extent to which the Legislature’s living wage goals are being considered in the procurement and award of County contracts.

County Administrator Joe Mareane, who convened and chaired the County work group, presented the group’s findings and recommendations, and responded to committee questions.  The 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.

The full Work Group report is available for review on the County Administration web site at http://www.tompkins-co.org/ctyadmin/documents/LivingWageReportw-Appendix.pdf .

The report 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.  The approach recommended notes that the living wage goal, while important, must be balanced with other sometimes conflicting goals, including affordable government and preservation of essential services.

Administrator Mareane said the committee should not forget that Tompkins County was a living wage leader when the policy was established a decade ago, and remains committed to the policy.

Several citizens addressed the committee, including Pete Meyers of the Tompkins County Workers Center, who has attended Work Group sessions throughout the examination process.  He reported that the Workers Center has a petition, with more than 950 signatures to date that support the living wage for all County contracts, and added that he sees full implementation as an ongoing process, and doesn’t expect all to be achieved this year.

The committee thanked the group for its work—what Legislator Mike Lane, chair of the group that first developed the living wage policy, described as “a wonderful effort.”  The G.O. committee now expects to review the findings and recommendations, and consider the matter of implementation as committee work.

The committee today also recommended Legislature adoption of another work group’s report recommending a short-term financial strategy to respond to a sizable structural budget deficit for the Tompkins County Public Library, projected at more than $400,000 for 2014.

That report finds, in part, that the Library already has made deep spending cuts, including a 15% staff reduction over the past four years, and that personnel levels cannot be reduced further without a significant effect on service and program.  With State funding minimal and philanthropic support already high, Administrator Mareane told the committee that the County represents the only significant source of short-term funding, while the Library develops a long-term fiscal strategy to achieve a sustainable revenue structure.

Recommendations include that the County increase its “target” support for the Library by at least $100,000 in each of the next three years, that the Library spend down all but $75,000 of its reserves over the next two years to support operating expenses, and that the County close the remaining budget gap through appropriation of County reserves.

The report will be considered by the full Legislature September 3.

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