Local News for Thursday, February 16, 2023

Brock to Run for 5th Term

Ithaca First Ward Alderperson Cynthia Brock says she is running for re-election in November. New ward boundaries have been drawn and the new First Ward  will include part of the current Second Ward  represented by Phoebe Brown and Ducson Nguyen. The Ithaca Voice reports that Brock is being challenged by Kayla Matos, the deputy director of Southside Community Center who announced her candidacy Monday. Brown will run for the new First Ward’s other seat. The new ward will include the city’s West End, waterfront, southwest, Southside and Northside neighborhoods. In 2022, Brock’s complaints about the Re-imagining Public Safety process started an ethics investigation by the city which found no violations. Tompkins County is still pursuing a parallel investigation. 

Cornell’s 20-year PILOT Expires Next Year

The 20-year agreement that determines how much Cornell pays the city of Ithaca in lieu of taxes expires next year. The Ithaca Times reports that according to 2022 tax assessments, Cornell’s tax-exempt property in the city is valued at more than $2 and half billion. Cornell only pays taxes on property worth about $8 million in Ithaca and this year will make an additional contribution of around $1.5 million. Many comparable universities contribute much more to their respective communities. A new arrangement will be up for negotiation soon, and some citizens are organizing to push for a significant increase in what Cornell pays its host city.

State Senate Rejects LaSalle in Floor Vote

The New York State Senate voted down Governor Hochul’s pick to be chief judge. Politico reports that the senate voted 39 to 20 against the confirmation of Judge Hector LaSalle on Wednesday. The floor vote was an overwhelming rejection of a nominee who’s been opposed by the governor’s own party. Progressives and Democrats have criticized his judicial opinions in cases concerning unions and abortion rights and in January, the senate’s Judicial Committee rejected his nomination. At that time Democratic leaders said he could not win a floor vote. Hochul says she will now select a new nominee from a list provided by the state Commission on Judicial Nomination.