January, 6 2022 Daily Headlines

Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick, has announced he will be stepping down after a decade in office. Myrick made his announcement last night over social media, saying he was accepting a position as Executive Director of People for the American Way, a Progressive advocacy group. Mayor Myrick called his time as mayor the "honor of my lifetime." Myrick also announced that 5th Ward Alderperson and Acting Mayor Laura Lewis would take over the office effective February 7th. Lewis was first elected to the Common Council in 2017.

The Tompkins County Independent Redistricting Commission will be hosting public input sessions in the coming weeks. The commission is tasked with redrawing district lines for the county legislature. The commission is made up of 9 community members appointed by the legislature last month. All input sessions will be held virtually. The first session is next Tuesday at 5:30. For more information visit the commission’s webpage at tompkinscountyny.gov/redistricting.

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Last week the Ithaca Town Board approved new legislation that would regulate short-term rental agreements. According to the Ithaca Voice, short-term rentals are rental agreements that are shorter than 30 days. Residents have complained about renters throwing parties and causing traffic problems in the town. The legislation did receive pushback from property owners. According to the Ithaca Times, many in the town rent out their properties along the Cayuga lake, for large periods of the year. Many residents also rent out their homes in the winter while spending the summer in warmer locations. 

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Yesterday Governor Kathy Hochul delivered the State of the State address to both chambers of the state legislature. According to LocalSyr.com, the Governor used the platform to promote key legislative goals of her administration, including term limits, investment in healthcare, affordable housing, and climate action. This was Hochul’s first state of the state address and was the first ever to be delivered by a woman.

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On Tuesday, the New York State Inspector General’s office reported that the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision had administered faulty drug tests that resulted in hundreds of false positives. According to News10 the tests caused New Yorkers to face undue punishments including jeopardizing release dates, and even solitary confinement. The Inspector General also found that the Department of Corrections dropped their policy of double checking positive results before issuing punishments.