Ithaca voters won’t be deciding on changes to the city charter this election season after all. That’s the result of a vote from the city’s Charter Revision Commission last Thursday.
Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo established the commission in January to “modernize” the city’s charter, including clarifying the roles of the mayor, common council and city manager.
Ithacans were originally going to be able to vote on changes to the city’s "constitution" in November.
Last week, members of the commission said they did not have enough time to get recommendations for a referendum together before the 2026 election.
The commission's chair, Billy Noseworthy, resigned for personal reasons last month. Multiple other commission members have also left the group.
During their meeting, the commission voted to create a report that will detail their work so far and include recommendations for revisions to the charter.
The commission still plans to submit a referendum to voters in 2027, as long as they still meet the required membership numbers plus two officers appointed by the mayor.
However, Cantelmo told the Ithaca Voice he "probably" wouldn't appoint new commission members.