Martha Robertson has been on the Legislature since 2002 and has served as Chair of the Legislature since January 2010. In addition she chairs the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency (TCIDA) and represents the Legislature on the Tompkins County Council of Governments (TCCOG). Martha serves on the Program Oversight Committee of the Housing Fund, a joint effort of Tompkins County, the City of Ithaca and Cornell University to respond to the affordable housing needs of the county's residents. She is also a member of the Public Safety Committee of the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC). As a legislator, Martha has been chair of the Public Safety Committee, the Health and Human Services Committee, and the Planning, Development and Environmental Quality Committee. In addition she chaired the Capital Plan Review Committee for the last two years.

For 2012, Martha's primary goal continues to be to address the fiscal challenges facing Tompkins County, especially to stimulate job creation and to deal with the mandates placed on counties by New York State. She is concerned that gas drilling could transform our region and is working with residents and other municipal officials to protect our natural and human resources. Over the years Martha’s legislative priorities have included expanding housing choice and affordability, addressing climate change through local efforts to reduce our carbon footprint, and providing strong, effective alternatives to incarceration to build a safer, more just community. 

A county resident for 29 years, Martha has been very involved with the Sciencenter since 1988; she is currently a member of its Advisory Board. She is also a member of the Tompkins County Climate Protection Initiative and the Governmental Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Commerce.

Before joining the Tompkins County Legislature, Martha was Director of the President’s Council of Cornell Women, in Alumni Affairs at Cornell University. A Cornell graduate, she has been a teacher, a business owner, and a fundraiser for several not-for-profit organizations. Martha and her husband Steve have two children and two grandsons.

Legislators are elected and serve for four years. Current terms run from 2010 through 2013.