Ways and Means reviews tentative 2026 budget as foster‑care costs, security cuts and DMV staffing spark concern

At a special Ways & Means meeting on Nov. 13, Cayuga County budget director Lynn walked legislators through the tentative 2026 budget and warned of sharp cost pressures and operational risks if proposed cuts stand.

Lynn said the county’s local share for foster care has risen by $1,700,000, driven largely by higher daily placement rates beyond county control. She told the committee the increase is a principal driver of this year’s budget stress and will require either fund-balance draw, revenue increases or cuts elsewhere to balance the budget.

The committee also focused on staffing reductions proposed across several public-facing departments. Department of Social Services staff flagged a roughly $67,000 cut in a professional‑services line that would reduce security coverage at a DSS site from three guards to two, leaving lengthy periods with a single guard on duty. A department speaker recounted a recent workplace incident that led to an indictment and urged the legislature to identify offsetting funds before approving the reduction.

DMV leadership warned that trimming staff to six budgeted employees and reducing cashiers could jeopardize the office’s ability to handle roughly 50,000–60,000 annual transactions and risk revenue loss if the office shifts to appointment-only operations. Legislators and staff discussed kiosk options and noted the state kiosk program has ended and that any local kiosk purchases carry costs.

On modernization, IT staff said the county plans to place a data‑center contract next week and begin server migration to reduce infrastructure risk. The county has also budgeted additional equipment spending and added funding for payroll software to support longer-term modernization.

Members pressed budget staff about a front‑page summary line that lists the effective tax‑rate change as 1.96 percent; staff said the figure reflects assessment growth and that different measures (effective rate, levy change, tax-cap impact) show different percent changes. Legislators asked for a technical briefing from the county treasurer to clarify how those figures relate to residents’ bills.

Lynn and members repeatedly emphasized that any legislator-proposed restoration of cuts must identify where the offsets will come from — other line‑item reductions, new revenue or increased use of fund balance — because state law requires line‑by‑line changes when altering the tentative budget. Committee chairs scheduled follow-up departmental reviews and said any recommendations would be voted on by the full legislature.

The Ways & Means committee did not adopt final budget amendments at the meeting; instead, members were asked to bring specific motions (with identified offsets) to the next committee meetings for consideration.