Cayuga County lawmakers will consider an $886,078 plan to relocate the county’s backup 911 center, accept new funding for mental health and highway programs, and approve a $31 million Cayuga Community College budget when the Legislature meets tonight.
The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the Ward O’Hara Agricultural Museum, 6880 East Lake Road in the town of Owasco. Legislators will also hold a public hearing on extending the county’s authority to use videoconferencing for public meetings through July 15, 2028.
Backup 911 center relocation
One of the largest items before lawmakers would establish a capital project to move Cayuga County’s backup 911 center to the Auburn Fire Department.
County officials say the existing backup center is no longer adequately operational following the closure of the County Office Building. The secondary facility is intended to keep emergency communications running during power outages, equipment failures, maintenance, natural disasters or other disruptions at the primary 911 center.
The county previously agreed to rent space at the Auburn Fire Department for $5,070 annually under a five-year agreement. Lawmakers also authorized as much as $1.2 million for the relocation in 2025, but those funds were not spent that year.
The revised proposal places the estimated cost at $886,078 and would establish a formal capital account because the project is expected to take more than one year and may require more construction than initially anticipated.
The financing plan calls for $409,063 in undesignated capital funds, $182,870 in interest associated with the Emerson Park capital project and $294,145 in interest connected to the county’s DREAMS project.
Legislators will separately consider filling one vacant emergency services dispatcher position and converting another budgeted dispatcher title into the state’s Hiring Emergency Limited Placement program. The HELP program allows qualified applicants to be hired for certain civil service jobs without first taking a competitive examination.
County officials say understaffing at the 911 center can increase mandatory overtime and place additional pressure on dispatchers handling fire, emergency medical and law enforcement calls.
Mental health grants target suicide prevention and schools
The Legislature will consider accepting $132,000 in state funding for a three-year rural suicide prevention initiative.
The New York State Office of Mental Health award includes $36,000 in 2026 and $48,000 in each of the following two years. The funding would support a countywide needs assessment, evidence-based prevention strategies, workforce training, public education and closer coordination among schools, health care providers, law enforcement and community organizations.
A separate resolution would accept $90,000 to establish two school-based mental health satellite clinics in the Moravia Central School District.
The proposal allocates $45,000 for a clinic at Millard Fillmore Elementary School and $45,000 for a clinic at Moravia Junior-Senior High School. The clinics are expected to provide students and families with access to assessments, treatment, crisis intervention, care coordination and other behavioral health services.
Lawmakers will also consider authorizing the Community Mental Health Center to fill a full-time psychiatric nurse practitioner position ahead of an expected resignation in October. County officials described the position as critical to maintaining continuity of care and transferring an existing patient caseload.
Another proposal would create an office manager position within the Mental Health Department by reclassifying an existing administrative role. The department says the employee’s responsibilities have expanded to include staff supervision, workflow coordination, fiscal support and regulatory oversight. The change would not increase the department’s total staffing.
College budget and labor agreement
Legislators will vote on Cayuga Community College’s proposed $31 million budget for the 2026-27 academic year.
Cayuga County’s sponsor contribution would total nearly $3.27 million. The college’s Board of Trustees approved the spending plan in June before it advanced through the Legislature’s Government Operations Committee.
Lawmakers will also consider a new collective bargaining agreement covering members of AFSCME Council 66, Local 932-C, at the college.
The proposed four-year agreement would run from Sept. 1, 2026, through Aug. 31, 2030. Returning workers would receive a $2,500 salary increase in the first year, followed by 3.25% increases in each of the next three years.
The agreement would also extend the college’s summer work schedule by two weeks, add the day after Christmas as a paid holiday and increase employees’ vacation and personal leave benefits.
Eligible employees could continue receiving a $10,000 early retirement incentive if they are at least 55 years old and have completed at least 10 years of service.
Housing study contract
The Legislature will consider awarding a contract worth up to $140,000 to czb LLC for a countywide housing market study.
The study is expected to examine local housing demand and guide future development across Cayuga County. The county received a $100,000 grant from the Northern Border Regional Commission, while the Auburn Housing Authority and Cayuga County Industrial Development Agency each committed $20,000.
The city of Auburn is conducting its own housing study through its comprehensive planning process and has agreed to provide data valued at about $10,000 to the county at no cost.
County officials said the consultant’s proposal was the most responsive submission received during a competitive selection process.
Jail staffing and public safety grants
The Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office is seeking authorization to fill six vacant custody positions at the county jail following retirements and resignations.
Officials say the vacancies affect the jail’s ability to operate safely and efficiently. Funding for the positions is already included in the 2026 budget.
The Sheriff’s Office is also proposing a short-term partnership with the U.S. Marshals Service for joint law enforcement activities between July 29 and Sept. 1. The federal agency would reimburse up to $11,966.10 in overtime costs for members of the Sheriff’s Road Patrol Division.
The agenda does not specify what operations would be conducted under the partnership beyond describing them as local public safety initiatives.
Another resolution would accept $27,000 through the state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative. Most of the funding would be used for Sheriff’s Office overtime, with $2,000 available for other grant expenses.
The county is also positioned to accept an $83,051 homeland security grant for body armor, crowd-control equipment, hazardous materials protective gear, information-sharing technology, cybersecurity and other preparedness efforts.
An additional $28,834 emergency management grant would reimburse a portion of the county emergency services director’s salary.
Roads, culverts and winter expenses
Lawmakers will consider accepting $378,805 in additional state paving funds. The county maintains 508 miles of roads and previously authorized work on 40 miles during 2026.
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The Legislature will also vote on adding $145,000 to a project involving twin culverts on Fosterville Road that were flagged by the state Department of Transportation.
County officials estimate repairing the existing culverts will cost $245,000, compared with about $3 million for full replacement.
Another highway measure would amend the county’s snow and ice agreement with the state following the severe 2025-26 winter. The proposal includes additional appropriations for fuel, private plowing, truck parts and salt.
The Legislature will also consider a revised deposit schedule for utilities and contractors working within county rights of way. Proposed deposits range from $625 for smaller projects affecting road shoulders to $3,750 for work involving pavement cuts. Gas or water service to private homes and utility pole work would continue to carry no deposit.
County staffing changes
A broader personnel resolution would convert more than two dozen provisional positions across county government into HELP program titles.
The affected jobs include positions in Public Health, Social Services, Finance, Emergency Management, the County Clerk’s Office, the Treasurer’s Office, the Highway Department, Veterans Services and the Office for the Aging.
County officials say the employees are already working in funded positions and the change would allow them to receive permanent appointments without competitive civil service exams that the state does not plan to offer. The conversions are described as budget neutral.
Other personnel proposals include hiring a part-time Youth Bureau director at $25 to $30 per hour, two seasonal clerks for the Home Energy Assistance Program and a part-time building inspector and code enforcement officer at $50 per hour.
The Office for the Aging is also seeking approval to accept a one-time $10,000 award from Meals on Wheels America to expand service to new clients and strengthen the county’s senior nutrition program.
Videoconferencing and financial audit
The meeting will open with a public hearing on continuing the county’s videoconferencing law for another two years.
The law allows legislators and committee members to participate remotely under extraordinary circumstances, including illness, disability, caregiving obligations, temporary travel or another significant unexpected event.
Members attending remotely must be visible and audible, and the public must retain the ability to observe and participate. Meetings using videoconferencing must also be recorded and posted within five business days.
Drescher & Malecki is scheduled to present the county’s 2025 financial audit.
A previously tabled proposal to hire Pracademic Partners for organizational consulting and recruitment work tied to a potential county administrator position also remains on the agenda. The contract would cost up to $52,500 for an organizational assessment and executive search, although lawmakers could leave the measure tabled.
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