Selection Committee Chooses 4th Ward Replacement

ITHACA, NY -- A seat on the common council is up for grabs after fourth ward alderperson Steven Smith resigned to move to New York City at the end of the summer.

Mayor Svante Myrick, along with the other fourth ward representative Graham Kerslick, and second ward representative Ducson Nguyen, composed the selection committee to decide who should be recommended to join the Common Council. On Sept. 22 the committee conducted interviews with Patrick Mehler and Katie Sims, the two candidates running for the position.

On Sept. 28, the committee voted on their recommendation for Mehler and will present it to Council on Oct. 6 for a final vote. The fourth ward mainly comprises Collegetown.

Mehler is currently a student at Cornell University and expects to graduate in 2023 and said he wants to run to connect constituents with the city government.

“I really want to rekindle that fire and rebuild that bridge between the city and the community,” he said.

Mehler also stated that he wants to build a better connection between the students in the fourth ward and the local government and community. By doing so, Mehler hopes that young voices in the area will be heard and can have an impact on the community.

Sims is a Cornell University alumnus who graduated last year.

“I think local government is the key political unit,” Sims said. “You can understand most of the general feelings of people in a city… In the [broader] United States, there will always be a larger compromise. In a local community, equity and things that are really specific and beneficial.”

Both Mehler and Sims have experience in leadership and organizing roles.

Mehler was a founder of Cornell Votes, where he organized a voter registration day on campus to help increase voter turnout. According to Mehler, his strategy resulted in a 33% voter increase.

Mehler also worked in the New York State Senate, giving him insight into how government runs and functions, and where he learned how legislation is made. He placed an emphasis on representing the needs of constituents and not his own.

“It’s not my job to say, ‘this is what I think.’ It’s my job to say, ‘this is what the community thinks,’” said Mehler.

Sims has served on the board of directors and the editorial board for The Cornell Daily Sun.

She recalled that her time on the editorial board allowed her to see what people in the community are concerned about, and she was able to take criticism from readers and learn from it.

Concerning challenges and opportunities in Ithaca, both Mehler and Sims discussed the lack of affordable housing.

Mehler noted that both students and permanent residents in the area are facing this issue.

“What I absolutely wouldn’t want to see happen is folks being pushed out of their homes that their families have known for generations,” Mehler said.

After graduating college last year, Sims chose to live in Ithaca afterward for her love of the city where she caught a glimpse of the housing issues herself.

Sims realizes that while the city is growing and the economy is expanding, it makes the issue of finding housing more difficult.

“The challenge,” Sims said, “is finding out how to allow this expansion and create these economic benefits for the city while still making sure that people still have a place to live.”

Another challenge that Mehler pointed out was communication between the residents in the fourth ward and the Common Council. Sims recalled different challenges in the city, such as infrastructure and sustainability.

Both Sims and Mehler, though, had similar views in why they love the fourth ward, and it’s because of the people.

“’Asgard is not a place, it’s a people,’” Mehler recalled from Thor: Ragnorak. “It was the first thing I thought about when I thought about the fourth ward… the people are who make up the fourth ward,” Mehler said.

Sims felt a similar way. “I feel so lucky to live in a place with so many people that I went to school with, worked with…I think living in a place this social, I’m really grateful for it,” she said.

After the interviews were conducted, the selection committee, along with the city clerk and attorney, met again on Sep. 28 to discuss and decide on who to recommend to the common council.

Myrick, along with Kerslick and Nguyen, all agreed that both Mehler and Sims were great candidates and they both had skills that would be contributed to the council and community.

They admired how Sims chose to stay in Ithaca after graduating and for her pursuit of serving in local government. Her passion for combating the issues of sustainability and infrastructure in Ithaca also resonated with Nguyen and Myrick.

The selection committee, however, also admired and valued Mehler’s experience in government and his ability to organize.

“Putting your name in the hat for something like this takes a lot of thought,” Kerslick said. “And both of them have thought about this to a significant extent.”

Myrick noted how he was thinking about ways both candidates could serve the city, rather than just have one serve. Both Nguyen and Kerslick agreed that both Sims and Mehler can be assets to Ithaca.

Kerslick leaned more towards Mehler, given his experience and connections. He believes that Mehler has a better grasp of what can be achieved in the short length of the term, which runs through the end of 2022.

Myrick agreed. “You really need someone who’s focused on organizing and bringing more people to the table.”

Nguyen’s leaning was more toward Sims. She mentioned plans regarding infrastructure which resonated with Nguyen and aligned with what former fourth ward representative Smith felt. However, Nguyen agreed with the points made for Mehler.

“I wouldn’t be upset serving along Patrick,” he said.

“I think we should note to Council that this was a close call,” Myrick said. All three members in the meeting noted that they would also like to discuss with Sims the possibility of her serving the city on a different committee or board.

Published on Oct. 5, 2021 for The Ithaca Times. Read it here.