Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo delivered his 2026 State of the City address at the Jan. 14 Common Council meeting, focusing on rebuilding trust in city government and increasing transparency.
Cantelmo said completing outstanding city audits is a priority and announced plans to hire a new city controller, a position that has been vacant since the end of 2023.
Housing was the mayor’s top policy focus. He outlined zoning reforms that would allow small-scale, multi-unit housing citywide and said the city plans to modernize residential and mixed-use regulations, including eliminating or significantly reducing off-street parking minimums.
The mayor also said his administration intends to expand the Planned Unit Development framework citywide in 2026 and pursue revitalization of the West Martin Luther King Jr. Street corridor.
Cantelmo said his administration views housing as a basic human need and rejected the idea that cities must choose between compassion and competence, emphasizing a commitment to investing in people, protecting vulnerable residents and using public power transparently.