05/19/2026
Community stakeholders were told that a vote on the Occupancy Tax (tourism) law wouldn't happen until the full legislative session later this month (having been previously taken off the docket in April due to absences at the April meeting). Instead, our local leaders called a "Special Meeting" this past Tuesday at 11:30 AM—a time when most of us are at work and unable to attend or speak up - with five county legislators absent.
We see you.
Here is a list of those legislators that voted to dismantle and defund the tourism and cultural sectors in Cortland County:
• Douglas Bentley (D)
• Beau Harbin (D)
• Cathy Bischoff (D)
• Jason Prentice (R)
• Dominick Mantella (D)
• Kevin Fitch, Chairman (R)
• Christopher Newell (R)
• Eugene Waldbauer (R)
• Sandra Price, Minority Leader (D)
• William McGovern (R)
• Mitchel Eccleston (R)
This law strips 15% away from a tiny slice of the county budget (less than 1%) that was dedicated to tourism via the occupancy tax.
It caps tourism funding at $1 Million. Anything collected over that amount? The County keeps it for "undefined economic development."
Instead of reinvesting in the museums, theaters, venues, and cultural events that make visitors want to stay here, this money is being siphoned off into a general "slush fund."
Transparency is the fundamental bridge between a government and its people. When a decision-making process is "hidden" or rushed, that bridge begins to crumble. Community trust is not a renewable resource - it must be earned.
