common council

Democratic candidates running for the Ithaca Common Council are contesting races in most of the wards of the city this year. Many of the candidates seeking open seats made their case to voters at a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters Thursday.

Before approving Ithaca's 2023 budget, Ithaca Mayor Laura Lewis joined city attorney Ari Levine to condemn some of the comments made by city employees, alderpersons and community members during a Common Council meeting earlier this month.

Ithaca’s acting mayor Laura Lewis, a Democrat, won Tuesday’s election. She will serve out the final year of former Mayor Svante Myrick’s term.

The holiday, long celebrated by Black Americans, was declared a federal holiday last year. Now Ithaca’s city employees will also get the day off.

The police department’s sign on bonus for lateral transfer hires has grown significantly since it was introduced last November in the city budget.

"People like me have been hearing the word 'wait' for as long as we can remember," Alderperson Phoebe Brown said. "It is imperative that we move on."

The city's Common Council plans to vote next week on an ordinance that would make it more difficult for other states to investigate abortions in Ithaca.

The resolution passed committee on a four-to-one vote. The full council will vote on the resolution on July 6th.

Alderperson Jorge Defendini said the law will help workers advocate for more equitable pay.

Alderperson Cynthia Brock said she’s working with the Tompkins County Ethics Board to open an investigation into the former mayor.