Â鶹ÊÓƵ

The Legislature tabled resolutions allowing four agencies — Cayuga County 911, the county Health Department, Department of Social Services and sheriff's office — to fill six positions. The vote was along party lines, with the Democratic caucus supporting the motion. Republican legislators opposed tabling the measures. 

As lawmakers began considering the resolutions, Legislator Elane Daly, D-Auburn, motioned to table "the fills on the agenda" until the Legislature's July meeting. She explained it would give them more time to get an update on the county's finances.

Earlier in the meeting, Legislator Ben Vitale, I-Montezuma, warned his colleagues that they are facing a budget crunch. When the 2024 budget was approved last year, the Legislature used $7.6 million out of its fund balance. The county is using more of its fund balance due to the office building closure. 

Sales tax revenue is also short of projections this year, with the last estimate showing it will fall $1 million under budget. That, along with more spending on state-mandated services, has created what Vitale believes is a "fiscal crisis" for the county. 

"We really need to start paying attention to what's going on," he said. "We're halfway through the fiscal year. We got six months to kind of do some corrective action here and try to make the pain next year a little bit less." 

Vitale panned the resolutions to fill positions at a time when the county, he says, is "bleeding money." 

Daly mentioned Vitale's comments when she proposed tabling the resolutions. 

"We have more than a few reasons to take a pause at this time," she said. 

There was opposition from some lawmakers. Legislator Mark Strong, R-Moravia, focused on two positions — a 911 dispatcher and a deputy sheriff — that would not be filled because of the delay. He asked the Legislature to reconsider the motion to table those resolutions. 

"They are public safety issues," he said. "In my opinion, public safety is number one." 

Legislators from the Democratic caucus who supported the motion to table stated they support the resolutions to fill the positions, but they want to postpone them for a month until they receive a budget update. 

Legislator Jonathan Anna is a former Onondaga County deputy sheriff and chairs the Legislature's Judicial and Public Safety Committee. He supports tabling the resolutions because it's consistent for all departments. 

"I don't see this as attacking public safety," Anna, I-Sterling, said. "I support the sheriff. I support public safety... But I think taking a pause for 30 days will not be putting public safety at risk." 

Later in the meeting, Strong attempted to revive a separate resolution that was defeated at the Legislature's Ways and Means Committee meeting. The proposal would allow the sheriff's office to fill a vacant corrections facility administration position. 

After Strong's motion, Vitale moved to table the resolution until July. The Legislature voted along party lines, again, to table the measure.