Ithaca administration outlines 2026 ‘maintenance of effort’ budget; OpenGov tool to increase transparency

City of Ithaca administrators presented a preliminary budget framework and data analysis for 2026 that uses the 2025 general fund as a baseline and estimates a 6.5% property tax levy increase to maintain existing staffing and service levels.

The presentation — delivered by city staff during the Committee of the Whole meeting — included an in-depth review of local population and revenue trends, a set of eight taxpayer “personas” showing how an estimated maintenance-of-effort levy would affect different owners and renters, and a demonstration of a new OpenGov platform to make budget data public and more interactive.

Why it matters: the administration said the 6.5% estimate would, under current assumptions, translate to about a $142 annual increase for a median homeowner and that personnel costs (wages and fringe) are the largest single driver of the projected levy. Staff framed the proposed approach as a conservative starting point and said it would be refined as new information (sales tax receipts, state aid, fee-study results, and the official tax-cap…