Under the threat of state sanctions, Cayuga County legislators opted at a meeting Tuesday afternoon to explore moving mental health services to vacant space at Auburn Memorial Hospital.

The state Office of Mental Health cited the county department for several infractions, including records management, program and facility issues in 2006, but extended the facility's certification on the grounds improvements would be made. The county has evidently made little progress and the state is now threatening a $2,000-a-day sanction if things don't change quickly.

Mental health services located in two offices on North and Genesee streets are funded by Medicaid and additional state aide that could be withheld to the tune of $750,000 per year, Legislator David Schuster, D-Auburn, said following an executive session. The county is due to receive a letter that will outline the citations from the state Office of Mental Health Wednesday.

"Some of those issues are related to the physical condition in that space and some are related to the quality of care," Schuster said.

The county Legislature unanimously passed a resolution to move forward with the feasibility of moving Mental Health Services to AMH. The state also is requesting a plan from the county laying out solutions to the citations.

Health and Human Services Committee Chairwoman Ann Petrus, R-Brutus, said the plan is to move forward quickly.

"We're going to take care of two things when we get there (AMH)," she said. "Just the transfer to this building is going to take care of these quality of care issues."

The Community Services Board, which oversees Mental Health Services for the county, is set to meet Thursday.