The Seneca County Board of Supervisors delayed a proposed 2027 salary schedule for elected officials and senior county personnel Tuesday, sending the measure back to committee after a lengthy debate over whether the board should approve raises before getting a clearer picture of next year’s budget.
The Board of Supervisors also moved ahead with a contract of up to $900,000 for architectural and engineering work tied to a planned renovation of the county Health and Senior Services Building, despite three supervisors voting against the proposal and an unsuccessful attempt to table it. The meeting also brought increases to county water, sewer and recycling charges, along with several other contracts and spending decisions.
Salary increases delayed as supervisors seek budget picture
The proposed salary law would establish 2027 pay for elected officials, county public officers and designated senior personnel and apply the county’s management salary schedule beginning with the first payroll period after Jan. 1.
Under the proposal, the Board of Supervisors chair would receive $19,800 and board members would receive $15,603. The sheriff’s salary would be set at $122,765 beginning with the next elected term, while the county clerk would receive $93,891 and county treasurer $48,687.
Among senior positions, the proposal lists salaries of $175,511 for county attorney, $162,813 for county manager, $151,127 for finance director, $129,939 for commissioner of human services, $122,864 for public health director and $116,119 for personnel officer. The district attorney’s salary would be $225,390.
The board had already held the required public hearing Tuesday evening, but Supervisor Michael Trout moved to send the measure back to committee. He said he wasn’t necessarily opposed to the raises, but wanted supervisors to have more information about the county’s projected spending, reserves and tax position before committing to additional recurring costs.
Trout tied the issue to a broader concern he has raised about using reserves to hold down current taxes and fees, arguing that the practice can eventually force larger increases when reserves are depleted. He pointed to the county’s recycling program as an example of that dynamic.
Supervisor Paul Latini raised similar concerns, saying the county should be looking at projected expenses earlier in the budget process, including expected insurance costs, major projects and personnel expenses.
“What will we know on September 22 that we don’t know now?” Supervisor Tracy Koplinski-Wick asked during the discussion.
Latini said earlier projections could give supervisors a preliminary look at 2027 spending and allow them to make decisions with a clearer understanding of the county’s financial position.
Supervisor Jeff Partee opposed sending the measure back, saying the board had already considered the raises through committee and completed the public hearing process. He estimated the increases contained in the local law would add about $55,000 and noted the affected positions include senior employees responsible for operating county government.
County officials said department budget requests have now been submitted and are being reviewed at the county manager level. The preliminary budget was described during the meeting as looking better than had been expected, although the review is still underway.
The motion to return the salary law to committee passed, with Supervisors Frank Schmitter, Partee and Koplinski-Wick identified as opposing the move. Officials said a delay could ultimately require the salary changes to be applied retroactively if the measure is adopted later.
$900,000 building contract survives attempt to table it
Supervisors also approved an agreement with Barton & Loguidice for work connected to the renovation of the Health and Senior Services Building at 2465 Bonadent Drive in Seneca Falls.
The project is intended to support relocation of the county Mental Health and Addictions Department. The county has said it wants construction to begin in spring 2027 with completion anticipated in winter 2027.
The resolution originally described the $900,000 agreement as covering “pre-construction services,” but Partee questioned whether that accurately reflected the scope of work. The board amended the measure to more broadly describe the architectural and construction-related services covered by the agreement.
That discussion quickly expanded into questions about the overall project cost, construction management expenses, contingency funding and whether supervisors had enough information to approve the agreement.
Supervisor Mike Brownell moved to table the resolution until more figures were available. Shipley seconded the motion, and the board conducted a weighted roll-call vote.
The tabling effort failed by a weighted vote of 92 in favor, 445 against and 213 absent. Supervisors then approved the underlying contract after approving the wording change. Brownell, Latini and Supervisor Paul Young were identified as voting against the final measure.
The resolution makes the agreement contingent on sufficient financing being authorized and available. The county expects to finance all or part of the renovation through bonds or bond anticipation notes, but Tuesday’s action did not authorize that borrowing. Any bond resolution would require separate board action.
Supervisors also discussed having representatives from Barton & Loguidice return to a future committee meeting to answer additional questions about the project.
Recycling fee rises to $47 per unit
One of the most direct changes for taxpayers came during approval of a new three-year recycling contract with Cardinal Disposal.
The company submitted the lowest responsible bid at $2.25 million over three years, or $749,988 annually.
Before approving the contract, supervisors amended the resolution to increase the recycling charge placed on the 2027 tax roll from $37.50 to $47 per recycling fee unit.
The increase prompted discussion about the county’s practice of using reserves to keep the recycling charge below the program’s actual cost. Supervisors were told the $47 rate is intended to bring the fee closer to break-even.
Several supervisors noted the roughly $10 increase represents a substantial percentage jump even though the dollar amount is relatively small. The discussion again turned to whether governments should make smaller increases more regularly rather than using reserves and later imposing larger adjustments.
The amended recycling contract was approved.
Water and sewer district rates increase
Supervisors separately approved increases for Seneca County Water District No. 1 and Sewer District No. 1 following public hearings.
Water District No. 1 customers will see the usage rate increase from $10.47 to $12.05 per 1,000 gallons. The operations and maintenance charge for in-district users will rise from $67.50 to $87.75 per unit.
For an in-district customer using the minimum 8,000 gallons per quarter, the county estimates the quarterly bill will increase by $32.89.
County documents say the adjustment follows wholesale water increases passed through the Village of Waterloo and Town of Varick. Waterloo raised its wholesale rate to Varick by $1.07 per 1,000 gallons, while Varick’s rate to the county district increased by $1.12 per 1,000 gallons.
Sewer District No. 1 users will see the per-unit charge rise from $45 to $57.50, an increase of $12.50. The current $45 rate had been in place since 2016.
Both increases were approved by the board.
County commits up to $90,000 for child advocacy services
The board authorized the Division of Human Services to enter a one-year contract worth up to $90,000 with the Child Advocacy Center of the Finger Lakes after the organization lost funding from the state Office of Victim Services.
The center has provided services to Seneca County for nearly two decades without direct county funding, according to the resolution.
County officials said the services are tied to the county’s statutory responsibilities for responding to suspected child abuse and include forensic interviews, victim and family advocacy, forensic medical services, multidisciplinary case coordination, training and case review.
The county estimated the center handles about 141 Seneca County cases annually, or roughly 12 per month. Without the center, those investigative and support functions would have to be absorbed by the county and its partner agencies or obtained elsewhere.
The contract will run from Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027. Funding was identified within the county’s adopted 2026 budget.
Other contracts and spending approved
Supervisors approved a five-year agreement with Qualifacts Systems for the Credible electronic health record system used by the Mental Health Department. The contract carries a five-year maximum cost of $903,508, with projected annual costs ranging from about $165,000 to $191,000 after the first year.
The board also approved a one-year, $28,600 agreement with GovPilot for cloud-based permitting software for the Code Enforcement Department.
A revised county code enforcement fee schedule was adopted effective Oct. 1. Among its provisions, permit fees resulting from stop-work orders will be doubled, with an additional $250 charge to lift an initial stop-work order. A repeat offender would face a $350 fee to lift the order.
Supervisors also approved a $54,000 contract with Millennium Strategies for grant consulting and writing services through June 30, 2027, and accepted an additional $35,000 in state weatherization funding. That increase brings the county’s program allocation to $260,000 with no local match required.
The Highway Department was authorized to purchase an $85,964 Broce RCT-350 broom after receiving three quotes. A $19,671 agreement with Seneca Stone Corp. was also approved for paving the parking lot at the Ovid courthouse complex.
The board approved several vehicle transfers and surplus actions, including transferring a 2017 Dodge Caravan valued at roughly $2,000 to $3,000 to the Town of Tyre. Partee abstained from that vote.
Roadside trees and flooding draw public concerns
Residents also brought two infrastructure concerns directly to supervisors.
Theresa Turnmyre told the board a large tree limb fell onto her vehicle Aug. 14 while she was driving on Packwood Road in Waterloo, smashing through the windshield and totaling her 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe. She said the weather was calm at the time and called on the county to inspect roadside trees for dead, damaged or overhanging limbs.
Turnmyre said the recent tornadoes make the issue more urgent because trees and limbs could have been weakened without immediately falling. She asked the county to evaluate roadside trees, improve coordination outside utility-maintained corridors and develop an ongoing process for identifying hazards.
During open privilege of the floor, residents of East Lake Road in Varick described recurring flooding they believe worsened after larger drainage structures were replaced with smaller ones several years ago.
Sally Kenyon said she is facing more than $50,000 in estimated repairs involving her basement and mechanical systems. Residents said flooding has affected several properties and urged the county to reconsider drainage infrastructure along the road.
Airport manager hired, 2027 budget review begins
The county has also hired Robert Fratangelo as its full-time airport manager, with his employment expected to begin Sept. 21. Officials said he will serve as a department head and attend committee and Board of Supervisors meetings.
The county manager reported that department heads have completed their initial 2027 budget submissions and that the requests are now under review.
Supervisors are expected to continue that work through the fall, including a budget workshop, while the salary proposal sent back Tuesday returns to committee for further consideration.
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.