ITHACA, N.Y. — Newly-elected Tompkins County Legislature Chair Dan Klein delivered his first State of the County address Tuesday evening at the body’s second meeting of the year, setting out the vision for the county’s legislative year.
His speech focused on the environment, homelessness, and new county initiatives dealing with broadband, the EMS response systems and the impending Center of Government development and consolidation of services in downtown Ithaca. Much like Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo’s inaugural address to Common Council earlier this month, Klein’s remarks laid out an overview of the county’s legislative priorities for 2024.
Klein said the county intends to finalize a strategic operations plan and vote to adopt it this year, and that all advisory boards must review and update bylaws this year. The county, he said, has more than 40 advisory boards made up of more than 300 volunteers.
Klein did not delve deeply into any particular topic. Instead, he opted to list the breadth of the county’s goals for the year — like the desire for progress on the Tompkins County Jail plans, maintaining a solid financial position and examining new ways to protect Cayuga Lake and its watershed.
“Tompkins County is fortunate to be in a good financial position,” Klein said. “At the same time, our needs are great, and everything is expensive.”
He also thanked the county’s employees: “There is no county government, there is no 2024 work plan, without our employees.”
Klein saved his most extensive comments for the political overhaul that took place in Ithaca, the county’s seat, where more than half of the Common Council is new to elected office and Deb Mohlenhoff has recently taken over as the first city manager.
Those changes created apprehension among county officials about the feasibility of the partnerships between the city and county on issues like law enforcement reform, opioid settlement fund allocation and Community Justice Center (CJC) initiatives.
“The Ithaca Common Council now contains many members who are new to government,” Klein said. “It’s not clear which way all these collaborations will go … [Mayor Cantelmo and I] both believe that we will have clear channels of communication between the city and the county, and that good communication is the key for a good relationship.”
Klein’s address included announcements about which legislators will lead which committees:
- Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Committee – Veronica Pillar
- Public Safety Committee – Rich John
- Budget, Capital and Personnel Committee – Mike Lane
- Planning, Energy and Environmental Quality Committee – Anne Koreman
- Downtown Facilities Committee – Randy Brown
- Housing and Economic Development Committee – Greg Mezey
- Facilities and Infrastructure Committee – Lee Shurtleff
- Health and Human Services Committee – Shawna Black
- Government Operations Committee – Amanda Champion
Additionally, Klein named the following appointments:
- Cindy Walters to the Workforce Development Board
- Anne Koreman and Greg Mezey to the Ithaca Area Economic Development Board of Directors
- Anne Koreman and Katie Borgella to the Ithaca Area Economic Development Executive Committee
- Greg Mezey to the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce
- Randy Brown to the Co-Operative Extension of Tompkins County
- Rich John as chair of the Tompkins County Ethics Advisory Board
- Amanda Champion to the Tompkins Center for History and Culture Governance Committee
- Terry Carroll to the Municipal Electric and Gas Alliance
- Darby Kiley to the Cayuga Lake Watershed Intermunicipal Organization (with Anne Koreman as alternate)
- Veronica Pillar (chair), Anne Koreman (member) and Travis Brooks (member) to the Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Committee
- Special Negotiating Committees to conduct collective negotiations with employee organizations: Shawna Black and Lee Shurtleff for the Corrections Officers Union, Shawna Black and Mike Lane to the CSEA