A Show-Down in the Second Ward

By Matt Dougherty

Every seat on the City of Ithaca’s Common Council is up for grabs in this year’s election, and candidates have begun to announce their campaigns to ll the void that will be le on the Common Council when the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, 2023.

In January, current Second Ward Alderperson Ducson Nguyen announced that he would be seeking re-election to the Common Council for one last four-year term. Phoebe Brown, currently occupies the two-year term for the Second Ward, but has been endorsed by the New York Working Families Party to run in Ithaca’s First Ward as a result of redistricting.

e race to ll the position le by Brown will see current Fi h Ward Alderperson Kris Haines-Sharp run against former city commission chair and community organizer Aryeal Jackson.

Haines-Sharp was recently appointed to ll the seat formerly occupied by Mayor Laura Lewis. e seat had been vacant since Lewis formerly obtained the title of Mayor.

Haines-Sharp said that she has lived in the current 5th Ward for more than two decades, but that she will be running for election in Ithaca’s newly drawn Second Ward as a result of redistricting. “I raised my family here and have dug deep roots in this place I call my home,” said Haines-Sharp.

She continued saying that her campaign for Common Council “is the culmination of my years as a parent, community member, teacher and school administrator. I have been privileged to connect and work with a wide range of community and city organizations and services.”

Since being appointed to the Common Council, Haines-Sharp has served on various city and community boards. In her role as Alderperson, she serves on City Administration and is the Council liaison to the GIAC Board, the Community Housing Development Fund Oversight Committee and the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Committee.

According to Haines-Sharp, “I learn something new every day as I believe strongly in researched and informed decision making…I am a strong proponent of healthy and respectful dialogue and am committed to listening to all voices.”

If elected, Haines-Sharp has said that she will prioritize the Reimagining Public Safety recommendations and the goals of the Ithaca Green New Deal. She has also pledged to work on behalf of both landlords and tenants and wants to see

T Ake N Ote

Cornell University trustees to meet in Ithaca, March 23-24

The Cornell University Board of Trustees will have its regular spring semester meetings in Ithaca, March 23-24, 2023. Please note that the public, including media, is invited to observe and listen to the open sessions – listed below - but is not allowed to participate.

Thursday, Mar. 23:

The Committee on University Relations will meet at 12:15 in the Taylor A/B Room at the Statler Hotel. The open session will last approximately 20 minutes and will include a presentation of the New York State budget and Cornell priorities by Charlie Kruzansky, Associate Vice President of State Relations, and Zoe Nelson, Associate Director of State Relations.

The Buildings and Properties Committee will meet at 1:45 pm in the Statler Hotel’s Amphitheater. The open session will last approximately 12 minutes and will include an authorization request for the Plant Science Building Renovation by Andrew Magré, a ordable housing in neighborhoods that meet the needs of city residents.

“I am running because I want Ithaca to be a city where residents are able to live long term, young people are meaningfully engaged and heard, and city workers are supported for their commitment to a vibrant and well-functioning Ithaca,” said Haines-Sharp.

Former city commission chair and community political organizer Aryeal Jackson has also announced her campaign to represent the two-year term for Ithaca’s new 2nd ward.

In her campaign announcement Jackson said, “As a mother, business owner and renter, I’m running because I care deeply about the lived experiences of the individuals and families in this city.”

Jackson served as the chair of the city’s Public Safety and Information Commission until 2019. She has worked as a project manager, communications strategist and journalist in both print and local public radio.

Continued on Page 14

ON THE COVER:

First Ward Alderperson George McGonigal stands in front of the site of a proposed sanctioned encampment for unhoused individuals.

Associate Vice President for Engineering and Project Management, and Benjamin Houlton, Ronald P. Lynch Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Friday, Mar. 24:

The Board of Trustees will meet at 9 a.m. in the Gary and Laurie Yarnell Lecture Hall (LH4) in the College of Veterinary Medicine. The open session will last approximately 35 minutes and will include reports by the President, the Student Assembly, the Graduate and Professional Students Assembly, and the University Assembly.

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