[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6284139,"mediaKeyId","2582861-7282706f96f03ecf010fcc7420d42a26","parentId",2582861,"title","At-a-glance: key votes and procedural actions, Tompkins County Legislature, March 4, 2025","audioSeconds",5486,"startMs",9177000,"endMs",14663000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2582861-7282706f96f03ecf010fcc7420d42a26&start=9177&end=14663","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2582861-7282706f96f03ecf010fcc7420d42a26/thumbnail_9177000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6284139/Tompkins-County/New-York/At-a-glance-key-votes-and-procedural-actions-Tompkins-County-Legislature-March-4-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6284139-43c86bf74d49dcc5097abee8afc89848/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186603&Signature=ADPFzGSTeS5r0gbgoSM1kcsBMal06r--3g4xlZiH4AvOsnTwOfVRP-mHw-ED325EYQaOjSJ~suZJzMWuK3yzGu6jxPgAqgM9g5ytc4ELKfD~vgt5jVUD3tdxD1uzLA-LBYpPpXMB-xbrnjlU465Epllv6nY~CpRMGiZ4EDc5Ap5WWZ7JBcaISp6x2zncJCrm0p4TTOQXjmvnoREGTrJpUk4sVK4~FzSMn4~5Y~BSONXZom0h8VM50c9IuWjt~iPONvL1zshWS2Yr4OmHJTzJ52SP77zAJ-NiCclqO~hLWR0EfyUKiu2~Znb37C2iUAIZHWx~VbnIV1lnpc0SBwOUFA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Tompkins County, NY","date","2025-03-04T00:00:00Z","article","The Tompkins County Legislature completed a series of procedural and substantive votes on March 4. Highlights: the consent agenda and multiple committee referrals were approved unanimously; the legislature approved a forensic audit of the Tompkins County Public Library; members added several items to the agenda and approved an amendment to the county municipal health-insurance cooperative agreement; and the legislature passed a contingent appropriation to carry leftover consulting funds for broadband work into 2025.

Votes and outcomes at a glance (selected items):

- Consent agenda: The legislature approved a multi-item consent agenda including grant authorizations, position changes, and budget adjustments (unanimous). Items included state and federal transit grants, airport terminal aid, health department contracts and recycling positions among others.

- Resolution M: Contingent fund appropriation to move unspent 2024 broadband consulting funds into 2025 for Department of Planning and Sustainability consulting work — approved unanimously.

- Resolution O: Appointment to the Greater Tompkins County Municipal Health Insurance Consortium board — added to the agenda and approved unanimously.

- Resolution P: Approval of the 2025 amendment to the Municipal Cooperative Agreement for the Greater Tompkins County Municipal Health Insurance Consortium — added to the agenda and approved unanimously.

- Resolution Q (forensic audit of Tompkins County Public Library): The legislature approved a forensic audit of the public library and amended the appropriation amount threshold; final motion on the forensic audit was passed unanimously (amended to up to $10,000 to trigger two proposals if needed and allow for a modest procurement process).

- Advisory board appointments: Appointments including Greg Mezey to the Air Services Board and Randy Brown to the Recreation Partnership Board were approved by roll call (13–1 for the listed advisory appointments; meeting minutes record one opposed vote during advisory board appointments).

Procedural notes: Several items were temporarily pulled from the consent agenda for separate consideration to accommodate speakers in the gallery. The forensic-audit motion included a friendly amendment to raise the spending threshold to $10,000 (which changes the procurement approach: under county policy a $10,000+ professional services action typically requires solicitation of multiple proposals).

What this means: Many of these votes are part of routine county business. The forensic audit motion was a direct response to public inquiries and media reporting about library finances; the forensic audit directs county staff to procure and oversee an independent financial review. The approvals related to the municipal health-insurance consortium and the broadband consultant appropriation are administrative measures to keep existing intermunicipal agreements and planning projects on schedule.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Tompkins County Legislature - March 4, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A roundup of formal actions taken by the Tompkins County Legislature on March 4, including consent agenda approvals, appointments, an appropriation carry‑forward, municipal insurance agreement updates, and a county-directed forensic audit of the public library.","taxTitle","Tompkins County, New York","taxId",52737,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6284144,"Tompkins County adopts framework to ‘institutionalize equity’ across county operations",3636,2660000,6296000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2582861-7282706f96f03ecf010fcc7420d42a26&start=2660&end=6296","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2582861-7282706f96f03ecf010fcc7420d42a26/thumbnail_2660000.jpg","/articles/6284144/Tompkins-County/New-York/Tompkins-County-adopts-framework-to-institutionalize-equity-across-county-operations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6284144-4792087af6562cc19985ebb447bf7116/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186603&Signature=LbsE5xmsUhS167fiwDAuAaHGb9JA6Zgg6rXiD-jI8YZH-aO9UruIulmO7ODgmBmAxnYVyZvBHBlcWn0h54k0WB9DIGdMF8UfJO5b9I2Aqkg9yoG0wB4yHcsejF4WkuUktvwPymHmDV78a2KKW10ENX0hY-QQbO5VHvK8ajt6F9cGvnaUcGuwJqUvn4uS-sSIXKQmWBzSgyUIUpaiSRhQYHmobSZi351ZGw9iaTY5qqMUUKtQQfwO8LE1LLdbPWRjIYXGJr0b6M4dktuolCx3TG-RPcQxn67SWk03vCHeosDvv-i-ngTfDDp9qPNHlqJ61q4zYtN7heby9yHuKvEftg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tompkins County’s legislature on March 4 adopted a countywide framework aimed at embedding equity into government operations, directing departments to develop measurable “equity indicators” and to report progress publicly.

Charlene Holmes, the county’s chief equity and diversity officer, presented the inaugural Institutionalizing Equity Report, which the legislature adopted on Feb. 18 and discussed at the March 4 meeting. Holmes described the report as a practical roadmap — not only aspirational language — that aligns with the county strategic plan’s organizational-excellence goal and requires departments to identify baselines and measurable indicators for service access, workforce training, and resource allocation.

Holmes said the report grew from extensive outreach: focus groups, one‑on‑one conversations and community-led events involving local partners such as Southside, GIAC, UPI, the Cayuga County Justice Center (CJC), the AAPI and Latino civic organizations, the Human Rights Commission and representatives from the Community Foundation, Cayuga Medical, Cornell University and Ithaca College. She told the legislature the report will produce public-facing metrics and an annual report to track whether county services reach residents who have historically faced barriers.

Under the adopted approach, department heads will select equity indicators and decide whether to report quarterly, biannually or annually; county administration will aggregate disaggregated data and publish an annual countywide equity report beginning in 2026. Holmes said 2025 will be a “baseline” year: departments will submit indicators and start data collection, and the county will support departments through training and administrative assistance.

Legislators asked how the work will relate to existing teams and partnerships. Holmes explained the difference between the workforce-focused JEDI core team (staff-only) and the Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Committee (WDIC), a mixed committee of staff, community members and legislators, and described plans to coordinate JEDI, WDIC and the new indicators. Holmes invited legislators to participate in upcoming events — including a GARE (Government Alliance on Race and Equity) regional meeting to be held locally in October — and flagged that GIS mapping tools and census-diversity profiles are available to help target outreach.

Legislators generally praised the report and asked for clarity on timelines and data sources. Several members said they expect the equity indicators to inform future budget decisions and resource allocation. Holmes acknowledged the work will take time and emphasized that the first annual report in 2026 will be the first opportunity to evaluate trends across departments.

The legislature’s adoption of the report establishes an official county framework for equity work and assigns ongoing accountability to department heads and county administration. Holmes said the approach is intended to improve service access for vulnerable residents and to increase transparency by publishing measurable outcomes.","County officials adopted an Institutionalizing Equity Report that maps indicators and reporting expectations for departments; implementation begins with baseline data collection in 2025 and public reporting planned for 2026.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6284149,"Tompkins County Legislature splits on state plan to expand involuntary treatment; local alternative wins",11171,560000,11731000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2582861-7282706f96f03ecf010fcc7420d42a26&start=560&end=11731","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2582861-7282706f96f03ecf010fcc7420d42a26/thumbnail_560000.jpg","/articles/6284149/Tompkins-County/New-York/Tompkins-County-Legislature-splits-on-state-plan-to-expand-involuntary-treatment-local-alternative-wins","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6284149-a9d42de4578ddb0d4c996310c1a9080f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186603&Signature=aOc7~Xghogfx7lKfbeSlTFy2SUow6dtvOxUlaoxelu62KI47IUGj3mPARkh6p5WrbN-vrOoAbSx4PGKxQIO-aUF5GVlpYD111cVtDcWLOkruoah0KzivLixrz5am3YIudSmu3r0zpnHPFtuWHUUbgGtmFhF83Xjw4CUDkwhjFaUQKQUbzaHNaAdDTdATsW6dBldJxhYykFS-FZvjXLzQLc39U8~TcGdtslHowpyjmwIjyCAxTb12RtbPl9irhEOGoiIrVzXCiCv53TQLebhhb5MLqrS0DpdwGFcYrbB5J9s~MfZD4FI6WgXvVqqpOzbB7nNeqLvlYdbzpt8gVL-AXw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","After more than an hour of public comment and a lengthy floor debate, the Tompkins County Legislature on March 4 declined to endorse Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed amendment to New York’s mental hygiene law to broaden criteria for involuntary treatment and instead approved a separate resolution urging increased funding for community-based and supportive services.

Supporters and opponents packed the chamber and addressed the legislature during the public-privilege period. Several speakers described on-the-ground experiences with people in severe mental-health and substance-use crises. David Sanders, a resident, asked the legislature to oppose involuntary commitment as “a violation of personal liberties,” while physician Justine Waldman, CEO of Reach Medical, cited studies she said show mixed or negative results for compulsory treatment and warned of racial disparities and provider shortages. Anna Vergari, outreach coordinator at Reach Medical, added that the county currently lacks adequate inpatient beds and staffing to support an involuntary model.

The debate that followed mixed policy, legal and practical concerns. Legislator Rich John moved a resolution in support of Governor Hochul’s proposal, arguing that the state standard for dangerousness leaves a gap that allows people with severe impairments to cycle through emergency care and the criminal justice system without stable treatment. John said the proposed change would let counties intervene when a person’s “basic needs for food, clothing, shelter or medical care” are not being met and asserted that some jurisdictions already use similar tools.

Opponents — including Legislators Shauna Black and Veronica Pillar and several public speakers — said involuntary models risk repeating past abuses, would be costly, and could be implemented unevenly without sufficient funding, oversight or community services. They urged the county to press the state for new investments in housing, detox and stabilization services, expanded outreach, and workforce development before expanding legal authority to compel treatment.

When the legislature took a roll-call vote on the measure backing the governor (resolution J), the motion failed, 5 ayes to 9 no. The roll call recorded votes as follows: Susan Curry (No), Deborah Dawson (No), Rich John (Yes), Anne Corman (No), Mike Lane (Yes), Greg Mezey (No), Veronica Pillar (No), Lee Shirtliff (Yes), Mike Sigler (Yes), Shauna Black (No), Travis Brooks (No), Randy Brown (No), Amanda Champion (No), Dan Klein (Yes).

After that vote, Legislator Shauna Black offered a separate resolution (resolution N) urging state and local leaders to prioritize expanded funding for voluntary and supportive services — housing-first programs, increased detox and psychiatric stabilization capacity, harm-reduction services, and workforce supports — rather than expanding involuntary commitment. That measure passed on a roll-call vote, 8 to 6 (Susan Curry, Anne Corman, Greg Mezey, Veronica Pillar, Shauna Black, Travis Brooks, Randy Brown, and Amanda Champion in favor; Deborah Dawson, Rich John, Mike Lane, Lee Shirtliff, Mike Sigler and Dan Klein opposed).

What happened next: The legislature’s action is an advisory policy statement, not a change to state law. It signals the county’s position to state lawmakers and to local partners as Albany continues to weigh amendments to the mental hygiene statute. Multiple speakers and legislators said the vote underlines the county’s immediate priority: securing funding and local capacity (beds, trained staff, and coordinated services) so that enhanced statewide authority, if enacted, can be used safely and effectively.

The debate exposed sharp tensions about trade-offs between individual autonomy and collective safety, the limits of local capacity, and racial and civil‑liberties concerns. Several presenters and legislators asked the county to seek explicit, adequate state funding tied to any legal expansion and to require strong due-process protections and independent oversight.

Votes recorded on March 4 were advisory to Albany; they do not change county statutes or local services directly. The legislature’s passage of the funding-focused resolution directs the county administrator and legislative representatives to press the state for increased resources and to report back on local planning for detox, psychiatric stabilization, and housing options.

The discussion is likely to continue as state proposals move forward and as county officials work on local facilities and service expansions.","After hours of public comment and debate, the Tompkins County Legislature voted down a resolution backing Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed expansion of involuntary commitment and instead approved a separate resolution urging increased funding for voluntary and supportive services.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

At-a-glance: key votes and procedural actions, Tompkins County Legislature, March 4, 2025

Tompkins County adopts framework to ‘institutionalize equity’ across county operations

Tompkins County Legislature splits on state plan to expand involuntary treatment; local alternative wins