Local government watch
A plain-language monthly read on what's being decided at Government Plaza — and where to push. Curated by Indivisible Binghamton from Legislator Tim Ames's monthly updates.
Latest update
Next general session: Wed, June 18
Here's what's on our radar from this month's legislative packet — a few items worth attention, a few worth showing up for, and one we'll be flagging out loud.
Watching
A proposed local law would let the Sheriff's Office impound vehicles and charge $50/day, with pickup limited to Mon–Fri, 8 AM–4 PM only. The daily fee plus weekday-only retrieval window could be devastating for hourly workers — a car towed on a Thursday night may cost two jobs before it can be retrieved. Worth watching how this gets enforced, and who it impacts.
Watching
The county is updating its jail phone contract to comply with the federal Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act. Call rates are now capped at $0.13/minute — a real improvement. But families on the outside still pay transaction fees up to $5.95 to put money on an account, and text messages run $0.50 apiece. These are costs borne almost entirely by mothers, partners, and children who haven't been charged with anything.
Win to protect
Family-Centered Case Management — a DSS program that helps struggling families stabilize. 100% federally funded; zero cost to county taxpayers. SUNY Broome budget — $8M county investment in our community college, which is both an affordable higher-ed pathway and one of the region's larger employers. Both are up for renewal at the June 18 general session.
Cut / concern
The Ticket to Work program (helps people with disabilities re-enter the workforce) is being renewed — but funding dropped from $210,000 last year to $132,000 this year. A $78,000 cut to a population that needs more support, not less. Legislator Ames is raising it publicly.
Watching
Willow Point is the only publicly operated nursing facility in Broome County — and one of only 16 county-operated nursing homes left in all of NY. It serves vulnerable seniors who rely on Medicaid. Nothing is on the table right now, but any move toward privatization would be a serious blow to the people who depend on it most. Worth keeping eyes on.
Cut / concern
Broome County's motel spending on unhoused residents went from $500K in 2019 to $9.5M in 2025, with $6M already spent in the first half of 2026 alone. The county has issued an RFP to hire an outside organization to build a real long-term response — a meaningful first step. The underlying gap: individual housing assistance is capped at $400/month, and nothing in Binghamton rents at that price. Over 1,000 people are experiencing homelessness across the Southern Tier.
Where this comes from
Most of what's above is summarized from the June 2026 monthly update published by Tim Ames, Broome County Legislator for District 15 (Southside Binghamton). Tim writes a plain-language read of the legislative agenda every month — we curate the highlights here and link to the full thing.
About the source
Tim represents the Southside of Binghamton on the Broome County Legislature and writes a candid monthly read on the legislative agenda — what's coming up, what to watch, and where the cuts are quiet. He's running for re-election in November 2026.
You can reach him directly at timothy.ames@broomecountyny.gov, and he encourages neighbors to attend the South Side Neighborhood Assembly, which meets the third Tuesday of each month during the school year at MacArthur Elementary.
Looking ahead
All 15 Broome County Legislature seats are on the ballot this November — the majority currently holds 10, and flipping just three would change who controls the agenda. The Sheriff's race is also on the ballot, the most direct check on Sheriff's Office power available to county voters this year. We'll have more on November-specific organizing as we get closer.
Past months
This is the first issue · earlier months will appear here as the column grows.
