Legislator· 2026-01-01–2028-12-31 (three-year term: the county Tompkins County Legislators page states legislators are elected and serve for three years with current terms 2026 through 2028; elected November 4, 2025 per Tompkins County Board of Elections 2025 Statement of Votes Cast , unofficial, certified results not located; begins January 1 per N.Y. Public Officers Law § 4, 1 and ends December 31, 2028; sworn at the January 6, 2026 organizational meeting; start shown is the current-term start)
Rachel Ostlund
Tompkins County
No biography on file yet.
Voice
- Meetings spoken in
- 39
- Total speaking time
- 1:38:38
- Avg per meeting
- 2:32
- Segments
- 1214
Want every word Ostlund has said?
The OpenCity MCP for Claude.ai answers questions like “what has Ostlund said about housing this year” with one prompt — full speaking history, with YouTube timestamps.
Top issues during term (17)(General)
Countywide Minimum Wage Study
The study itself was already paid for; any policy action on its findings would carry future budget implications.
2027 County Budget and 2027-2031 Capital Program
The 2027 budget and five-year capital program will set county spending and property tax levels.
Code Blue shelter activation
The state significantly cut the Code Blue allocation for 2026/2027; the county is planning with reduced funds.
Natural Infrastructure funding for three land conservation acquisitions
$94,425 from a fund whose balance would drop to about $285,000, with no replenishment in the last three budget years.
Tompkins County Animal Abuse Registry (Local Law No. d of 2026)
A proposed $100 registration fee was debated and dropped; the Sheriff will decide any fee, and the registry itself is expected to cost little given fewer than ten local convictions a year.
Continuation of virtual public meetings
Local tax dollars and county budget allocations are shifting based on these newly minted legislative decisions.
New Recycling Regulations Effective July 1
Not specified; a program vision and 2027 budget presentation was requested.
Center of Government Project
About $6 million remains of the originally reserved $9 million for the project; grant applications for exterior work and permeable pavement are underway.
Minimum Wage Study public engagement
The study will analyze predicted impacts of raising the county minimum wage above the upstate New York level.
Living wage and minimum wage study
Could change wages countywide and affect both workers' incomes and businesses' costs — no dollar figure yet.
cybersecurity grants
This grant funding covers critical tech upgrades without forcing local taxpayers to foot the bill.
Senior services funding boost
Fully state-funded — no new county dollars.
Living Wage Employer Status Review
Unknown; maintaining or expanding living wage compliance could affect county payroll costs.
homelessness data dispute
We might be wasting tax dollars on housing programs that are targeting the wrong numbers.
homelessness report
Lower homelessness rates could mean fewer tax dollars needed for emergency shelters down the road.
severe weather response
Municipal and utility budgets will take a hit from emergency overtime repairs and potential infrastructure fixes.
animal abuser registry
While a specific price tag hasn't been dropped yet, setting up and maintaining a new database will likely pull some funds from local government operations.
Decisions during term (0)
Recorded while Ostlund was in office — not necessarily decisions they moved, spoke to, or voted on.
No decisions found matching General.
Voting record (1)(General)
Oldest to newest — hover a bar for the item.