Headlines for Wednesday, October 19 2022

Tompkins County third ward legislator Henry Granison will be stepping down from his post to focus on treatment for cancer. Granison has served on the Public Safety Committee where he worked on the Reimagining Public Safety initiative and as the chairman of the County’s Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Legislature chair Shawna Black said “his will be big shoes to fill.” Granison’s resignation will be effective as of October 31. A special election to fill the seat will be held within 85 days.

Finalists for Ithaca’s Police Chief position have been announced and are meeting the public in a series of  local forums. The city had not announced the candidates until Monday morning; the first candidate forum was held Monday night with acting chief John Jolly. Candidate Christopher Bracco is an Investigator and former Police Captain with the Binghamton Police Department. A forum with Bracco will be held Monday, October 24. The final forum will be held Tuesday with candidate Scott Garin, a retired IPD Lieutenant. Both will be held at 6pm at GIAC at 301 W Court St.

An outpouring of public support and concern is being voiced since Louis Aguirre-Torres stepped down as Ithaca’s Director of Sustainability last week. The Latino Civic Association penned a letter to the Ithaca Voice expressing support for Aguirre-Torres and the work he did to advance Ithaca’s Green New Deal. They also expressed concern about what they called a “pattern of disenfranchisement” in local government particularly among “leaders of color.” In a separate letter, 54 local activists and leaders raised concern about continued progress toward the city’s decarbonization goals following Aguirre-Torres’s departure. Acting Mayor Laura Lewis has said she’s deeply committed to those goals and expressed confidence in remaining staff. She said the city would be conducting a search for a new Director of Sustainability.