The Cayuga County Legislature voted this week to raise the county’s Chief Information Officer’s salary to $160,000 and authorized continued negotiations toward a shared IT services agreement with the City of Auburn.
The vote followed a 76-minute executive session held during a special meeting at the Ward O’Hara Agricultural Museum. Lawmakers emerged from the closed-door session to unanimously approve Resolution No. 141-25, with Legislator Chris Pecher casting the lone dissenting vote.
The measure increases the CIO’s pay in anticipation of an expanded role overseeing IT operations for both Cayuga County and the City of Auburn. Talks are underway to formalize an agreement that would place the county’s CIO in charge of supervising, planning, and advising Auburn’s technology staff.
Legislators framed the move as a strategic step toward regional collaboration and long-term cost savings.
“This is about finding efficiencies,” said Legislature Chair Jonathan Anna, who introduced the resolution. “By sharing services and resources, we can strengthen our infrastructure while saving taxpayer dollars.”
According to the resolution, potential savings could be realized through bulk purchasing of hardware and software, as well as co-location of critical infrastructure. The county’s primary data center and backup 911 systems—currently housed in the basement of the County Office Building—may be relocated to a facility owned by the City of Auburn.
If an agreement is reached, the Legislature plans to create an additional position in the county’s IT department to support the expanded responsibilities.
The salary adjustment will be funded by reallocating $35,000 from a vacant position in the County Administrator’s Office.
The resolution also authorizes the Director of Finance and County Treasurer to make the necessary budget amendments and account adjustments.
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