An unusually emotional Cayuga County Legislature meeting Tuesday featured passionate public testimony on immigration enforcement, the future of the Ward O’Hara Agricultural Museum and the county’s proposed 2026 budget before lawmakers ultimately restored museum funding and approved a resolution criticizing recent federal immigration enforcement actions.
Residents packed the meeting at the Ward O’Hara Agricultural Museum to urge legislators to preserve county services, protect immigrant families and support local agriculture, setting the stage for one of the Legislature’s longest and most spirited meetings in recent memory.
The evening’s most significant budget amendment restored $30,000 to the Agricultural Museum’s part-time salary line after supporters argued the proposed cuts would force reductions in programming and operating hours.
Museum Director Tim Quill told legislators the museum has generated more than $850,000 in improvements through donations over the past 17 years without requesting additional county funding, but warned that the proposed budget would eliminate staff needed to operate educational programming, holiday events and community activities.
Quill said the museum had already absorbed significant reductions over the past two budget cycles and argued the nearly 30% reduction proposed for 2026 was disproportionately larger than cuts facing many other non-mandated county services.
Following extensive debate, legislators approved an amendment sponsored by Legislator Dale Winslow restoring the funding by transferring $30,000 from the county’s contingency account.
Immigration resolution draws extensive public comment
The meeting’s longest discussion centered on immigration enforcement.
Residents, farmers, clergy members and community advocates described the impact of the September 2025 federal immigration raid in Cato, arguing that longtime workers and families were swept into enforcement actions despite posing no threat to public safety.
Farmer Bill Cook told legislators about one longtime employee whose wife was detained during the raid after living and working in the area for roughly two decades. He urged lawmakers to support a resolution opposing what he described as excessive federal immigration enforcement while recognizing that broader immigration reform must come from Washington.
Several speakers, including Patty Duncan, Will Terry, Barb Blum and Brian Tukey, called on the Legislature to go beyond a symbolic statement and adopt a formal policy limiting county cooperation with federal immigration authorities during civil immigration enforcement.
Legislators ultimately approved a resolution expressing opposition to “excessive and unreasonable immigration enforcement activity” and encouraging law enforcement agencies to exercise sound judgment and humane consideration while respecting constitutional rights.
Legislator Heidi Nightingale, one of the sponsors, said the measure was intentionally written as a balanced statement emphasizing constitutional protections while recognizing the independent authority of law enforcement agencies.
Legislator Brian Muldrow, another sponsor, said the events in Cato had weighed heavily on him personally.
“I felt as if the pain that those families went through weighed on me,” Muldrow said, thanking residents who addressed the Legislature during public comment.
Budget amendments split lawmakers
Beyond the Agricultural Museum funding, legislators considered several amendments affecting staffing throughout county government.
A proposal to restore one planning position failed after debate over whether funding should come from the county’s economic development budget.
Another proposal to restore a Geographic Information Systems position in the Real Property Department also failed.
Legislators likewise rejected proposals to restore funding for an early intervention position and a Youth Bureau position.
The Legislature did approve Ways and Means Committee recommendations that restored an assistant district attorney position through recognition of additional revenue, adjusted funding within the Department of Social Services without increasing spending, restored a highway position through higher sales tax projections and made several other budget-neutral changes.
- CAYUGA COUNTY: Legislature holds June meeting (webcast)
- Cayuga County Legislature to consider staffing, contracts and administrator search (video)
- Cayuga County committees review energy savings, tourism efforts and infrastructure needs
- Cayuga County public safety committee advances grants, staffing changes, emergency operations planning (video)
Several legislators stressed the importance of balancing fiscal responsibility with maintaining county services as they worked through the proposed spending plan.
Animal registry, sewer district and other measures approved
Outside the budget discussion, the Legislature unanimously adopted a local law establishing an Animal Abuser Registry after hearing support from representatives of the Finger Lakes SPCA of Central New York and county residents.
The new law creates a registry intended to prevent individuals convicted of qualifying animal abuse offenses from obtaining additional animals.
Legislators also approved moving forward with formation of Cayuga County Sewer District No. 3, which would serve portions of the Cayuga Lake shoreline in the towns of Ledyard and Genoa.
The resolution schedules a mandatory referendum allowing affected property owners to decide whether the project should proceed. County officials also announced the Cayuga County Water and Sewer Authority has agreed to reimburse up to $15,000 of the referendum costs and recommended delaying the vote until at least April while additional grant funding is pursued.
The Legislature also approved numerous personnel actions, grants and contracts involving public health, emergency services, information technology, buildings and grounds, social services and public safety.
Lawmakers further scheduled public hearings on extending the county’s videoconferencing law for public meetings through July 2028 and on a proposed county motor vehicle registration tax.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.