Archive: News

The Tompkins County Legislature's Government Operations Committee today recommended Legislature consideration of two initiatives that could help address the county's housing shortage.

The committee recommended that a public hearing be scheduled on June 6th, 5:30 p.m., on a possible new Local Law that would, if approved, adopt a permitted exemption under New York State Real Property Tax Law on infrastructure improvements made by a developer. The proposed law would provide a three-year abatement of County tax on the increase in value due to improvements made to public infrastructure (utilities and road), as long as the developer retains ownership of the newly subdivided lots. Those holding costs are described as one of the many impediments to building for-sale housing.

Deborah Dawson (D) has announced that she is running in District 10 (Village of Lansing, Village of Cayuga Heights) for Tompkins County Legislature.  A Village of Lansing resident, Dawson, an attorney, has worked for the Erie County government, spent 30 years working for the federal government in the Department of Justice, and the last four or five years involved in village government, including serving as a current Planning Board member.  Dawson will run as a Democrat, and is seeking the Working Families Party line on the ballot as well.

"I'm a first generation on my father's side," she says.  "A second generation American on my mother's side.  My parents were lucky to go to high school.  They never made more than $25,000 a year, and I know that because I started doing their tax returns for them when I was 11.  They were dedicated pro-union members.  My Dad only cried twice, according to my mother:  once when FDR died, and again when Kennedy was assassinated.  I pretty much rebelled against everything they tried to teach me, but their political attitudes are my bedrock."

After a contentious campaign in the Village of Lansing, the three incumbent Community Party Candidates in all won a new term in Tuesday's election.  Preservation Party candidates conducted an aggressive campaign, but it wasn't enough to unseat Mayor Donald Hartill, and trustees Pat O'Rourke and Ronny Hardaway.  322 voters showed up at the polls Tuesday.  Community party candidates receiving approximately 75% of the votes.

"I want to thank all the Village residents who turned out to vote on Tuesday," Mayor Hartill said Wednesday.  "It was very gratifying to see so many people turn out. It really makes it worthwhile to talk with our residents during the campaign and find out their concerns. I will continue to work hard to keep the potholes filled and the roads in very good condition, while making sure that our water and sewer systems are providing excellent service. I look forward to seeing our new park on Northwood Road finished and our residents enjoying the new facilities and walking trails. Being Mayor of the Village of Lansing is a pleasure."

Congressman Tom Reed met Monday with members of the Cornell University community to discuss important climate topics and agricultural solutions.

"I care about fostering a beneficial, bipartisan conversation on the climate issues we face and how these issues impact our agricultural communities. We will work to find a sensible path forward regarding clean energy sources," Reed stated.

Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton (D/WF-125) announced Monday that she is introducing legislation to ensure the accuracy of the state's voter registration list and to improve voter registration and, consequently, voter turnout. The bill would require the state to contract with an external responsible entity that would assist the state in maintaining accurate voter registration lists, as well as require the state to regularly contact state residents who are eligible to vote, but unregistered, to educate them about registering to vote or updating their voter information.

"New York was 42nd on the list of states in terms of turnout in November's General Election and that is unacceptable. New York should be at the top of the list, not the bottom," Lifton said. "Having accurate lists and encouraging New Yorkers to register and vote will improve that rating considerably." Lifton got the idea for this legislation when she discovered, in October of 2016, that the New York State Board of Elections was testing the Interstate Voter Crosscheck Program, a controversial database program, run by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, which compares voter registration data across multiple states to identify possible cases of duplicate registration, allowing for the potential of duplicate voting.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced that Tompkins County is the first county in the Southern Tier to be designated a Clean Energy Community, recognizing its leadership in reducing energy use, cutting costs and driving clean energy in its communities. This announcement complements Southern Tier Soaring, the regional economic blueprint aimed at attracting a talented workforce, growing business and driving innovation.

Announced by Governor Cuomo in August, the $16 million Clean Energy Communities initiative supports local government leaders across the State to implement energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable development projects in their communities. Clean Energy Communities advances the Governor's Reforming the Energy (REV) strategy by demonstrating the importance of communities in helping New York reach its Clean Energy Standard mandate requiring 50 percent of the state's electricity to come from renewable energy resources by 2030.

Over the past few years the Salmon Creek Bridge on Ridge Road (NY State Route 34B) -- that spans the gorge behind Lansing Middle School -- has been closed for repairs from time to time.  The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) now plans to remove the 87 year old bridge entirely and replace it with a new design.  NYSDOT officials gave a presentation Wednesday to a standing room only crowd at the Lansing Town Hall to explain why, how, and when that will happen.

"Now is the time to do it," says NYSDOT spokesman Gene Cilento.  "The bridge is relatively narrow.  The steel connections  have a tendency to work loose over the years.  There's a massive steel arch with a lot of vertical columns framed into it.  Over the years vibration and poundings have caused some of the welds to crack.  The bridge is safe, but it needs more and more maintenance."

Mike Sigler (R) announced today he is running for reelection to the Tompkins County Legislature.  Sigler has served two terms so far as the legislator representing most of the Town of Lansing outside the Village.  He says that especially in the current term he has worked hard for the Town and Tompkins County, weighing in on every single issue of substance.

"I've worked hard the past four years for the people of Lansing and I am a fierce advocate for the town.  I've worked to keep the power plant on the tax rolls, keep taxes down, and defended the town against a group of folks calling themselves progressives, but who seem more committed to hobbling Lansing's economy and tax base, negatively impacting our great schools and my constituents' household budgets," said Sigler.  "I always have the voters in mind when I'm considering a proposal or law change. My record shows I've been accessible and responsive and will fight for Lansing at every turn."

Lisa Bonniwell is running for Village of Lansing Mayor.  An Ithaca native, Bonniwell and her husband Timothy have lived in the Village of Lansing for seven years.  Their children are 20 an 19 years old.  She runs her family's land developer business, which, among others, includes the Lansing Trails and Janivar Road neighborhoods in the Village, where the Bonniwells make their home.  She and her mother Janet Jonson, both with real estate licenses, also own a real estate company and apartments n Tompkins County.  This is her first run for public office.

Donald Hartill is running for his 11th term as Mayor of the Village of Lansing.  He is a Professor Emeritus of physics at Cornell University, still working at least half time on a research program, substitute teaching, and is an emeritus member of the Scientific Policy Committee for the CERN Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland.  He and his wife Marion have lived in the Village of Lansing since 1968.  He has been Mayor for 20 years, ten terms.  Prior to becoming Mayor he served as a trustee for eight years. 

	The polls open at noon Tuesday, April 25th at the Village of Lansing Office.  Voting remains open until 9pm

Most years the Village of Lansing elections have been uncontroversial, with Community Party candidates running uncontested and going on to do the business of the Village.  This year a disagreement about rezoning a plot of land on Bomax Road set off the nearby neighborhood (see article links below) sparked the formation of the Village of Lansing Preservation Party, which got enough signatures to get its three candidates on the ballot.

All six candidates graciously agreed to talk to the Lansing Star, each answering more or less the same ten questions.  Click on a candidate's picture to read the interviews to read about how their answers on important Village issues differ (Trustee interviews were published last week.  All six are now available by clicking the pictures below).

Community Party	Preservation Party

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Legislature Takes Comment on Proposed Tobacco Law
The Legislature held a public hearing on a proposed Local Law that would raise the legal age for tobacco sale and purchase in Tompkins County. The proposed law mirrors existing public health law, but raises the legal age for sale and purchase from 18 to 21. The proposed law notes that the County has substantial interest in reducing the number of all individuals of all ages who use cigarettes and other tobacco products, and a particular interest in protecting adolescents from tobacco dependence and the illnesses and premature death associated with tobacco use.

Thirteen people addressed the Legislature at the more than 45-minute hearing, while about half of the speakers urged passage of the law, others asked that more research be conducted, or expressed concern that the measure, despite good intentions may not produce the desired result, Some expressed concern about infringing upon the rights of choice of 18-to-20-year-olds, whom society considers at the age of adulthood; others said that data shows that typical tobacco use among teens starts much earlier, at around age 13, and suggested prohibition on use, or on the social factors that lead to youth smoking, might be more effective.