Tompkins committee approves Tyler assessment conversion after LGE grant covers first‑year cost

The Tompkins County Government Operations Committee on Dec. 4 approved a resolution authorizing the county to proceed with a subscription conversion to a new assessment database provided by Tyler Technologies, after receiving a Local Government Efficiency (LGE) grant that covers the majority of first‑year conversion costs.

The resolution, moved by Greg and seconded by Rich, passed unanimously. Jay Franklin, director of the Department of Assessment, told the committee the grant notification arrived in August and that the award allowed the county to budget for the conversion in its 2026 budget. "This is really gonna be a win for all of the property owners in Tompkins County," Franklin said.

Franklin described the work Bridget and staff did to apply for the grant and said the county will move forward with converting historical assessment records into the new system. He also warned that tax‑bill printing requires careful sequencing: five towns had approved data ready to print, one was expected to deliver data the next day, and the county was still waiting on the City of Ithaca’s portion, which the county processes separately.

The committee did not identify any objections during the debate. Members expressed appreciation for staff work securing the grant and for Franklin’s stewardship of assessment operations. The measure passed by unanimous voice vote.

The next practical step, Franklin said, is to finalize the conversion schedule and to coordinate sign‑offs with county departments (administration, finance, solid waste and elections) to ensure tax figures and other outputs align before printing begins.

Outcome: resolution approved unanimously; conversion funded in part by an LGE grant and incorporated into the 2026 budget.