Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Tompkins County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
11 issues in taxes budget with low priority
Employee appreciation event logistics
HR Commissioner Pulliam said county events like the appreciation picnic treat employees inconsistently — some offices close, some can't — and she plans to work with county administration to fix it before next year's event.
Employee training program's first full year
HR's new training program ran 52 sessions with 559 participants, most taught by county employees themselves. Plans for 2027 include more leadership development and supervisor training aimed at reducing workplace conflicts.
Room tax delinquencies
The county is suing TFI Enterprises LLC for $194,129 in unpaid room taxes from its lodge, and the County Attorney outlined options including liens, directory removal, and possible public delinquency registries.
Employee Performance Evaluation Policy Review
HR looked at two vendors for performance review software. NeoGov was too pricey at $45,000; UKG would run about $1,900 a year plus a $2,500-$7,000 setup fee, but the county first needs to define its competencies and workflow.
Finance Department leadership and operations
The county is still without a permanent Finance Director, and members discussed centralizing Finance Department operations. The HR commissioner also flagged work on performance evaluation software.
Foreclosure Property Sales and Loss Recovery
The county sold 16 foreclosed parcels at auction and will execute quitclaim deeds. One small Ithaca parcel sold for so little the county took a loss, and the county attorney said there's no direct way to recover it from the former owner — an Albany problem, members agreed.
Growing Burden of FOIL Requests
The County Attorney warned that FOIL requests are ballooning in breadth — partly because people use AI to generate sweeping litigation-style requests — crowding out other legal work. State law gives the county little room to limit them, though AI search tools may eventually help.
New veterans disability exemption
A rewritten state law would make 100% service-connected disabled veterans fully exempt from county property taxes on their homes. Members weren't convinced property tax exemptions are the right funding vehicle, and no action was taken.
Paper-heavy vendor payments
Chair Brown highlighted how Soil and Water and other agencies exchange dozens of small paper checks with county Finance, costing staff time. The push is toward ACH electronic payments, which Finance says it's already moving toward.
Local vs. Amazon Purchasing
The county increasingly buys supplies through Amazon, and Hubbard wants more dollars staying with local businesses. Staff will produce a list of vendors so the committee can spot bulk purchases worth shifting to local suppliers.
County-city bridge cost split
Hubbard pointed out city residents pay county taxes for county bridges outside the city while the city repairs its own bridges — a fairness point she wants folded into county-city sales tax and cost-sharing discussions.