Cortland County's tentative 2027 budget includes a proposal to abolish the county's Child Advocacy Center, with five staff positions slated for elimination effective December 31, 2027, if lawmakers approve the spending plan as written. A public hearing on the $189.6 million budget is scheduled for Thursday, October 22, at 6 p.m.
The Cortland County Legislature voted on September 24 to set the hearing date, according to 607newsnow.com. The hearing will take place in the Legislative Chambers of the Cortland County Office Building. The positions targeted for elimination include the center's director, assistant director, family advocate, community outreach educator and MDT coordinator, WXHC.com reports.
The Cortland County Child Advocacy Center offers what its own website describes as a non-threatening atmosphere where law enforcement and child protective services come together to talk with child victims and their non-offending family members, according to stopchildabuseincortland.org. The center is comprised of multiple partner agencies providing comprehensive services to children and families affected by child sexual and severe physical abuse, per the New York Office of Victim Services' resource listing for the center. Its multidisciplinary team handles investigation, evaluation, medical and mental health treatment, and other support services, the same listing notes.
Budget Numbers Behind the Proposal
The tentative 2027 budget totals roughly $189.6 million in appropriations across all funds, up from the $182.6 million adopted for fiscal year 2026, the station's report states. General fund appropriations alone come to $147.36 million, an increase of about 2.8% over the previous year. Cortland County Administrator Michael A. Ponticiello said long-term financial sustainability will require decisions about county services and recurring revenues, per the same account.
Ponticiello added that those decisions rest with the legislature, informed by financial analysis and departments' operational experience, and require sustained attention beyond a single budget cycle, the outlet reported. The proposed real property-tax levy is set at $46,156,250, a 5.5% increase over fiscal year 2026 — well above the state's 2% property tax cap. Because of that gap, the county will be required to pass a local law overriding the state cap to enact the proposed levy increase, the article notes. Individual property owners would see different tax impacts depending on assessed property values and municipal equalization rates.
The county's gross sales-tax collections are projected to reach approximately $43.2 million, a 2.5% increase over last year, with Cortland County expected to retain roughly $25.7 million after distributions to municipalities, according to the same report.
Statewide Funding Crunch for Child Advocacy Centers
The proposed cut in Cortland comes as child advocacy centers across New York confront steep funding losses. The state's 48 centers are facing a combined loss of more than $6.9 million in federal funding, a 31% decrease, according to City & State New York. Of the 36 centers that applied for federal funding, six were denied outright and 21 received substantial decreases, per the outlet's reporting.
The Office of Victim Services received 316 grant applications statewide seeking $626.1 million over two years — about $500 million more than was available, City & State New York reported, citing agency spokesperson Janine Kava. New York allocated $52.8 million to help offset the gap, though federal VOCA grant awards have swung widely year to year, from $83.7 million in 2022 down to $43.9 million in 2024 before rebounding to $72 million in 2025, according to the same report.
Other centers around the state have already felt the squeeze. The Child Advocacy Center of the Finger Lakes was among the six denied any federal aid this cycle, a loss of more than $700,000 across its three locations that represents two-thirds of its budget, City & State New York reported. The cut forced the agency to lay off five employees, according to fltimes.com, and could potentially force the closure of one location. The Chemung-Schuyler Child Advocacy Center lost significant funding that eliminated services in Schuyler County, while Cayuga Counseling Services in Auburn reported a $289,000 reduction in victim-services funding, per fingerlakesdailynews.com.
Recent State Grant for Cortland Center
Even as the county weighs abolishing the center, the YWCA of Cortland County and the Cortland County Child Advocacy Center were awarded a combined $899,737 in state funding.
How Residents Can Weigh In
The Cortland County Legislature will accept public comments by email and postal mail until 4 p.m. on Thursday, and officials have assured residents that all submitted comments will be heard even if the sender cannot attend or access the video conference meeting, per the station's report. The 2027 tentative budget is available for public review on the Cortland County website. New York law separately permits the creation of multidisciplinary teams or child advocacy centers serving more than one social services district, requiring each team to develop a written protocol for investigating child abuse and maltreatment cases, according to New York State Senate records of Social Services Law § 423.
