County administrator outlines 2018 recommended budget as tax levy rises 2.4%

County Administrator Joe Mariani presented the 2018 recommended budget to the Tompkins County Legislature, saying the plan balances new revenue sources and emerging priorities. He told lawmakers the budget “converges between new revenues that we will be receiving through casino revenues and the emergence of new or elevated priorities,” and said the recommended property tax levy increase is 2.4%.

Mariani said the county expects recurring casino revenue to be part of the budget for the first time and recommended putting a conservative estimate into contingency. “We projected $1,200,000 in new discretionary income that we can put into our budget from this new source,” he said, and added that the county had collected about $823,000 from two casinos at the half‑year point. Mariani said the administration used a 75% drop‑off factor in making a conservative 2018 projection.

On the levy impact, Mariani said approving the budget as presented would mean “it would have an impact of $12 for the owner of a median valued home.” He also described the county’s priorities for the new funds: investments derived from CGR (the jail study) recommendations, housing strategy initiatives, and the creation of new or reallocated staff for criminal justice coordination, reentry support and homelessness services. The recommended budget includes $1,360,000 added to the contingency account as a placeholder and a separate $150,000 baseline contingency increase to hedge risks in sales tax, casino revenue and federal uncertainty.

Legislators pressed Mariani and Finance Director Rick Snyder on the assumptions behind sales tax projections, details about the contingency, and the timing and sustainability of casino receipts. Snyder noted year‑to‑date sales tax increases and cautioned that quarterly patterns remain volatile. Mariani emphasized that most OTRs (over‑target requests) that would change policy are left for the Legislature to decide during the expanded budget committee process.