The Seneca County Board of Supervisors adopted the county's 2025 budget after more than three hours of debate over correctional staffing, housing-out costs and the use of reserve funds. The final vote to adopt the budget as amended carried 442 yes to 181 no.

The most contested issue was whether to fund five correction officer positions to open a female housing pod at the county jail. Sheriff Tim, speaking to the board, argued that local officials cannot shift responsibility for incarcerated people to other counties. "I take the position that the incarcerated individuals are the responsibility of the sheriff and the county," he said, and urged that the budget retain funding for the positions already budgeted in 2024.

Opponents questioned the cost-effectiveness of opening the pod. Supervisors cited figures provided during debate showing it would cost roughly $1,413 per day in salary and benefits to operate the pod and estimated an annual operating cost in the neighborhood of $515,836. Supervisor Frank (surname not provided) moved an amendment to remove funding for the five correction-officer positions; that amendment failed after receiving only two aye votes.

Board members also debated the county's housing-out line item, which covers fees paid when the county places inmates in other counties. The sheriff said Seneca paid roughly $260,000 in 2024 for housing-out this year and noted transportation and special-needs costs would remain even if more inmates were housed locally. Finance staff (Julie) told supervisors the proposed budget included $120,000 budgeted for housing-out in the 2025 proposal but that the county had incurred larger costs in 2024.

Another key amendment that passed restored funding to affiliate organizations. An amendment to add back $63,000 for affiliates (in part to address requests from Soil & Water and Cornell Cooperative Extension) passed on a roll call of 386 yes to 237 no; supervisors later adjusted the final allocation during the budget adoption process.

Board members discussed the use of the tax reserve fund and ARPA dollars to cushion the tax increase; finance staff summarized that the county had drawn about $7 million from reserves for the 2025 proposal and that continued use at that rate would deplete discretionary reserve balances in about two to three years. Several supervisors warned that repeated use of reserves would create higher tax pressures in future years.

The package approved by the board included policy and line-item changes adopted during the meeting. The session also approved a 2025 contract with Motorola Solutions for E-911 radio maintenance and repair that had been amended on the floor (the final amount stated by the board was $2,005,904).

The board's chair emphasized that the budget task force and county staff had already reduced an initial proposal by several million dollars during the process, and that adopting the budget now was intended to meet the statutory filing deadline. Supervisors were reminded that if the board did not adopt a budget by the December 20 deadline, the tentative budget on file with the clerk would take effect.

The board adjourned the budget discussion and moved on to a small number of new business items, including an authorization for human services to contract for a foster-care placement, before closing the meeting.