Tompkins County is governed under home rule, which provides for the separation of the Legislative and Executive Branches of government. The County has a Legislature-Administrator form of government where a 14-member legislature elected from single member districts appoints a County Administrator who oversees and coordinates the operations of county government to successfully carry out the policies of the County Legislature. Legislators are elected to four year terms. Other elected officials include the District Attorney, Sheriff, and County Clerk.
Our over 750 employees, serve in 27 diverse departments. Our employees value integrity, accountability, respect and community, while serving the public of Tompkins County and New York State.
Tompkins County has been ranked by residents and visitors alike as one of the most beautiful and livable areas in the entire United States. The County, with a population of 105,500 (2016 est.), is located in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region of upstate New York. Tompkins County is situated at the southern tip of majestic Cayuga Lake in an area of dramatic gorges and waterfalls.
The people of Tompkins County are welcoming, civically engaged and diverse. The County offers a vibrant city center, quaint villages and hamlets, forested hillsides, rolling farm land, over 26,000 acres of State Forests and Wildlife Management Areas, and nearly 3,000 acres of State Parks. Ithaca, our county seat, with a population of 30,750 (2016 est.) has a small-town atmosphere yet showcases qualities of a much larger city through an abundance of restaurants, theater, arts, shopping, cultural activities, and community festivals and events.
To learn more about living, working and playing in Ithaca and Tompkins County visit www.liveinithaca.org.