AUBURN - Cayuga County residents will have another chance to weigh in on the creation of a county manager position, following Tuesday's approval of a public hearing for a local law almost identical to the one defeated in the Legislature four months ago.

The Feb. 8 hearing was approved by all legislators except Chris Palermo, R-Sterling, and Michael Lepak, D-Auburn, the latter of whom was excused. Only an hour before the full Legislature convened, its Government Operations committee had unanimously voted to bring the resolution to the floor.

During that meeting, the committee presented a familiar scene - legislators scrutinizing a manager document and suggesting changes or asking questions. While legislators like Linda Murphy, R-Auburn, were enthusiastic that the issue had been reviewed so early in the year, others remained skeptical.

“I'm actually a little embarrassed about this,” Palermo said, noting the thousands of dollars in salaries for legislators and other government officials. “For that price, we've decided that we can't manage the county.”

The resolution, Palermo continued, “takes away none of our power, just our responsibility.” He added that he was confident the manager would require more staffing - and therefore more funding - further down the line.

But Legislature Chairman George Fearon, R-Springport, is convinced that a manager will actually save the county money. That individual will be able to closely examine the $96-million budget and can ensure that the county doesn't make errors that jeopardize receiving grant money or other funds, he said.

If a manager is hired, Fearon added, the chairman would become a part-time position, resulting in a reduced salary.

Discussion about whether or not to hire a county manager is nothing new on the sixth floor of the county office building. For more than a year and a half, the Legislature has debated alternative forms of government.

In September 2005, it voted down a manager local law by a vote of 8-7. The law needed a two-thirds weighted vote, or 161 votes, to pass but only received 116.

At the time, many legislators - and members of the public - said that the law did not give the manager enough power, while others wanted to see the position go up for a public referendum. Yet the new law contains few changes to September's version, beyond the manager's oversight committee and whether or not that individual can be appointed to other boards.

Fearon believes that the issue was passed through so quickly this time around largely because of the new legislators, all three of whom are strong advocates of getting a manager on board.

A recent New York State Association of Counties study on county government organization may have also influenced some legislators, said Fearon, who remains “extremely optimistic” that the county will soon employ a manager.

“I think this is the right time to do it, and I'm proud that we're dealing with the matter at this time,” he said.

Yet it's possible that not all of the legislators who voted in favor of holding the public hearing will ultimately support the final creation of the position.

Both Francis Mitchell, R-Genoa, and Ray Lockwood, R-Aurelius, clarified their votes as “yes, for the hearing.”

“I'm still not very enthusiastic about it,” Mitchell said of the proposition. “I still think we were elected to do a job, and I still would like to try and do it.”

Lockwood said that he had “mixed emotions” about the manager but noted that it could offer the county some much-needed continuity, considering the 12-year term limits for county legislators.

Those in favor of the law termed it imperfect but encouraged their fellow legislators to get the ball rolling, as changes can be made along the way. Before a manager is hired, the Legislature will have to pass a resolution setting parameters (including a salary range) to advertise for the position, and then another to actually fill the job after negotiations.

So legislators will have their say even after the position is created, Fearon said.

“We would have three bites at this same apple before it would ever happen,” he added.

Lepak, who voted against the law in September largely on the grounds that it was not going before the public as a referendum, was satisfied enough with Fearon's response to vote in favor of it during the Government Operations meeting Tuesday.

“I'll vote for this and let it go through and see what happens,” Lepak said. “I'm not going to say I'm going to go all the way with it.”

Staff writer Linda Ober can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or linda.ober@lee.net