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Lawmakers approve temporary moves of COFA, Assessment Department to Lansing

Lawmakers approve temporary moves of COFA, Assessment Department to Lansing

Photo: Saga Communications


LANSING, NY (607NewsNow) – The Tompkins County Assessment Department and Office for the Aging are moving.

On October 21, lawmakers approved the temporary relocation of both departments to Lansing for the duration of construction related to the Center of Government project.

Both departments will be housed at 31 Dutchmill Road, which the county purchased for $1.2 million in August. Rather than leasing comparable space, the acquisition will save the county an estimated $250,000 per year.

The Assessment Department and the Board of Elections (BoE) were the original departments slated to move into the new building, but the BoE’s move was scrapped after significant public feedback. Some lawmakers recently expressed a desire to reexamine the COFA move, but the Legislature ultimately voted to approve it after a discussion on Tuesday.

In a recent meeting, Tompkins County Administrator Korsah Akumfi said the county could close on the Dutchmill building by the second week of November.

The Board of Elections will move into the Office for the Aging’s West State Street location in Ithaca. Both buildings will require some work for occupancy, and officials say the move-in timeline will be announced once that work is finished.

You can watch the October 21 meeting of the Tompkins County Legislature here.

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