Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council reviews budget and administration reports; fee study, grants and contract talks pending
Summary
Council members questioned the city manager and acting controller about a scheduled fee study, a live grants dashboard, ongoing contract negotiations, Youth Bureau wait lists and audit work; staff said fee recommendations will be presented in September and audits and redline accounts remain in progress.
City staff briefed the Ithaca Common Council committee on Aug. 20 about several ongoing financial and administrative matters, and council members pressed for additional details ahead of the 2026 budget process.
City Manager Deb said the fee study is scheduled to be presented at the council’s September meeting and that officials will attempt to integrate recommended fee changes into the 2026 budget. “That is scheduled to be presented to you at the September meeting,” Deb said, noting the capital projects discussion will include the fee-study recommendations.
Deb and staff also said a live grants link has been shared with council that lists active grants; staff intend to include a grant summary as part of the budget packet going forward. “What we've shared around previously to you is a live link that you can click on and see all of the grants,” a staff presenter said.
Council members asked about contract negotiations and whether executive session would be needed for bargaining-unit talks. Deb said the city is actively negotiating with multiple units and that a contracted labor negotiator is being used. “Currently, we're working on exec and DPW,” she said; staff said negotiations planned in August should yield agreements to inform 2026 budget numbers.
Alderpersons raised concerns about the Ithaca Youth Bureau’s reported wait lists and whether city-funded slots are prioritized for city residents; staff said they will inquire with Youth Bureau staff and report back.
On financial reporting, the acting controller (Wendy Cole) updated council on audit and accounting work: the 2021 audit has been completed, document uploads for 2022 are in progress with a new audit firm, and the controller’s office has been focused on preparing the budget. Redline account reconciliations for 2024 were not yet completed. The acting controller also said overtime levels will be reviewed and more accurately reflected in the upcoming budget to avoid misleading high overtime figures.
Councilors asked about staffing options for controller functions if recruitment is difficult. Deb described current use of temporary staff from a contractor (ProNexus) as part of a hybrid approach and said a permanent controller search will resume after the budget process. The city attorney reminded council that New York law requires a chief fiscal officer (controller) or functional equivalent even if some tasks are contracted.
No final budget decisions were made; staff committed to provide more detailed fee-study recommendations, grant summaries and updates on contract talks and Youth Bureau prioritization before and during the September budget process.
