The Tompkins County Legislature initially estimated that it would have to increase the tax levy by about 11.96% at the start of the budget planning process. Now county officials think that the increase will be about 7.69%, though that figure could still change.
The reduction was primarily the result of the legislature’s deliberations over the vacancy rate, which measures the number of unfilled positions relative to the total number of budgeted roles in county government.
During an Oct. 13 meeting of the Tompkins County Legislature Expanded Budget Committee, the body agreed to adopt a 2% vacancy factor for 2027 personnel costs, ultimately cutting $1.4 million from the tax levy, which is the revenue the county raises through property taxes.
The decision to adopt a 2% vacancy factor represents the largest line item reduction in budget deliberations.
The possibility of applying a vacancy factor has been a point of discussion and disagreement at previous meetings. Initially, the county administration did not want to make that recommendation, but County Administrator Korsah Akumfi later included a 1.5% vacancy rate for the legislature to consider.
Last week’s committee meeting began with Legislator Dan Wakeman (D-District 10) proposing a 4% vacancy factor, which would have cut $2.8 million from the tax levy. The county ended last year with a 4.5% vacancy rate.
Legislator Randy Brown (R-District 15) pushed for a higher vacancy rate arguing that it is the legislature’s job to accurately estimate expenses and revenues.
“To use the 2% number where we’ve been averaging 4% over the last five years is not correct, and so we should be aggressive but conservative.” Brown said. “We shouldn’t be saying we’re only going to do 2% just because we want to put more money away for the rainy day.”
These suggestions faced some pushback from legislators and county staff, who argued that such a high vacancy rate could prevent the county from filling critical positions.
“If you choose a higher number as a vacancy rate, then we have to force that vacancy throughout the year by making sure [to] either delay backfilling or actually eliminate some positions if those become vacant,” Akumfi said.
Legislator Judith Hubbard (D-District 5) argued that the county should strive to hire employees in a timely manner.
“In some cases these positions, you don’t want to have a month or two of vacancy,” Hubbard said. “What you want is a month or two of overlap when you have one person leaving and another person coming in so there’s a chance to train them.”
Ultimately, Wakeman’s proposal failed, as did a suggestion from Legislator Greg Mezey (D-District 11) to apply a 3% vacancy factor. When the committee finally reached a 2% vacancy factor proposed by Legislator Shawna Black (D-District 6), the committee voted in favor by a 10-5 margin. The vote lowered the tax levy increase from 10.08% to 7.62%
After some further recommendations, which raised the levy to 7.69%, the committee approved the tax levy in a 9 to 4 vote.
The recommendations of the legislature’s committee are expected to be reviewed at the Oct. 20 meeting of the full legislature. A public hearing on the 2027 budget is scheduled for October 27 at 5:30 p.m.
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