Cayuga County Legislature approves college budget, fund transfers and USGS gauge contract; staff report building study and summer jobs

The Cayuga County Legislature on Tuesday approved three resolutions: the 2025–26 Cayuga Community College budget, a transfer of funds in the county clerk’s budget to pay for temporary professional services, and a five-year contract with the U.S. Geological Survey to upgrade a lake gauge station and add live video monitoring.

The measures were taken during the regular meeting after departmental reports. County staff and outside consultants also briefed legislators on a consultant-led assessment of a county-owned building, summer youth employment numbers, and an information-technology plan to relocate the county data center.

Why it matters: The college budget secures the county’s sponsor payment for the coming year; the clerk’s transfer preserves short-term office capacity while vacancies are filled; and the USGS upgrade aims to give real-time video alerts on high water and potential blockages at a lake inlet, a tool county officials said would speed emergency response.

On the college budget, Kelly Albrecht, chief financial officer for Keuka (Cayuga area) College, told legislators the proposed 2025–26 budget assumes 1,760 full-time-equivalent students and a 3% tuition increase. She said the college…