FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Neighbors,

It has been an honor to serve our community on Common Council this past year. I will, however, be stepping down in June. Having grown up in Ithaca and started a family here, I know how precious this place is. Throughout my time in office I have relied on the earnest advice of neighbors and the many trusted mentors, whose kindness, honesty, and integrity have been an inspiration to me since grade school. Few other communities provide the same nurturing circumstances for future generations to thrive, and I will forever owe a debt of gratitude to those who helped in my public service at such a consequential time for our city. 

Serving on Common Council has been an experience I will cherish. I leave with a heavy heart, but have decided to pursue other interests out-of-state. 

Ithaca deserves a more balanced approach in the years to come, one that channels optimism through pragmatism. A small, relatively remote municipality, blessed with natural resources and such a diverse and vibrant community, certainly has much to offer. Our city remains an idyllic destination for residents at all stages of life, especially amid climate change. That said, adventurous reforms have proven divisive if not destabilizing. As we navigate this post pandemic economy, our tax base and quality of life should not be taken for granted. Common Council should remain a body devoted to public service and the assistance of city staff. We are not the arbiters of morality on a national stage, but rather participants in the provision of a valued workforce. One that performs essential services and bolsters local economic activity. Can we offer and sustain opportunities in Ithaca? That is the question at the root of our mission. Opportunity enshrines the virtues we seek.