# 10_13_2026_Budget_Meeting


**Body:** City of Ithaca Public Meetings
**Date:** October 14, 2026
**Jurisdiction:** SLED

**Tags:** Public Safety, Professional Services, Grants & Funding


The City of Ithaca’s 2027 budget meeting on October 13, 2026, reviewed operating budgets for the City Attorney’s Office, Ithaca Police Department (IPD), Ithaca Fire Department (IFD), and community-support programs including CJC and Roots. The budget was not being adopted at this meeting; adoption was expected the following month. A motion to move the 2027 budget was seconded before discussion, and a motion to table the budget was made at the end of the transcript, with no disposition captured. The City Attorney’s Office described a proposed over-target request for a junior attorney position to support contract and records-request backlogs, enforcement, and reduced reliance on outside counsel over time; members requested more information on comparative costs. The discussion also noted approximately $300,000 budgeted for settlements and claims, $50,000 in miscellaneous expenses, and $30,000 projected for labor counsel in 2027, down from about $72,000.

Procurement and spending matters included IPD’s request to add three replacement vehicles—Subaru Imprezas—to the budget, while reducing other vehicle-related and equipment spending; the city is also preparing to identify a vendor for school-zone speed cameras, with installation planned for 2027 and projected camera-related fines and forfeitures of about $260,000. IFD reported more than $200,000 in grant funding over the prior 18 months for equipment and training, a 52% reduction in its equipment budget, and a need to improve department procurement controls and purchasing plans. The city manager rescinded an $82,000 over-target request for splash-pad restoration after staff identified savings. The meeting also discussed reducing CJC contract funding and planned county contract-service revenue, but no vendor awards or final procurement approvals were reported.

**Source:** City of Ithaca Public Meetings