Binghamton City Council holds land-sale; approves Ross Park carousel funding amendment and accepts Eldridge Street reimbursement amid public outcry over mayoral

The Binghamton City Council met for a business session in September and took three formal actions: it held over an ordinance proposing sale of several city-owned properties, approved an amendment to the 2025 capital fund budget for the Ross Park carousel project and unanimously accepted reimbursement funds for work at 18 Eldridge Street. During public comment, several residents urged the council to publicly condemn circulating video clips of mayoral candidate Miles Burnett; one resident also asked the council to consider beginning a community process to rename Columbus Park.

The holdover: Councilors moved to hold over introductory ordinance O25-57, which would authorize sale of 25 Lydia, 29 Lydia, 60 Dickinson and 1199 Murray to CAPC, until the next business meeting so the item can be considered when six council members are present. No roll-call vote was taken on final passage; the item was postponed to the next meeting by a holdover motion.

Votes at a glance

- Introductory ordinance O25-58 (amend 2025 capital fund budget for Ross Park carousel project): Adopted. Roll-call recorded as 5–0.

- Introductory resolution R25-58 (accept reimbursement funds for 18 Eldridge Street capital abatement project): Adopted. Roll-call recorded as 5–0.

- Introductory ordinance O25-57 (sale of multiple parcels to CAPC): Held over to the next business meeting to seek the six votes required for final approval; no final vote recorded.

Why it matters

The Ross Park carousel project is a capital improvement item in the city’s 2025 capital fund; amending that fund makes cash available for project costs. Accepting reimbursement for the Eldridge Street abatement returns money to the city for work already completed at that site. The held-over land sale involves multiple city-owned parcels and was postponed so a full council quorum for final action can be secured.

What council did

Councilors moved and approved O25-58, the capital budget amendment for the Ross Park carousel project, by a recorded vote of 5–0. The council then moved and approved R25-58 to accept reimbursement funds connected to capital abatement work at 18 Eldridge Street, also by a recorded vote of 5–0. For O25-57, members agreed to convert a motion to adopt into a holdover motion to place the ordinance on the next business meeting agenda, citing the need for six affirmative votes for final passage.

Public comment and council discussion

During the public comment period, David Curry, a Binghamton resident, asked the council to respond to community interest on the Nextdoor platform about renaming Columbus Park, framing the idea as an opportunity to “reenergize civic engagement” and to pair resident-led efforts with city and state partners. Curry said he planned to report back to the Nextdoor group and organizations including the NAACP about any direction the council provided.

Multiple written and in-person public commenters called on the council to publicly condemn mayoral candidate Miles Burnett after circulation of a video containing racist and vulgar language. Electronic submissions read into the record included statements from a resident identified in the record as Rosie Roo expressing disappointment over a video and comparing the candidate’s initiatives to those of the current mayor; from Hallie Martin demanding a public condemnation and stating the comments disqualify the candidate; from James Slocum and Ray Hollow, both asking the council to withdraw support for the candidate and calling the video’s language unacceptable; and from Mark Yanati, who said as someone who grew up Jewish he found the remarks disturbing. Several in-person and emailed commenters said silence would amount to tacit approval. The council did not take a formal vote or issue a formal statement during the meeting.

Council members acknowledged the harm of the circulated material and called for reflection. Council member Middleton described personal experiences with racism and urged sustained attention to equity issues across city departments, and another councilor said the episode should be a teachable moment and acknowledged the candidate’s subsequent apology while stressing the importance of present-day character and conduct. Council members did not adopt a formal resolution or statement condemning the video during the session.

Fiscal and administrative details raised in public comment

A public commenter who identified themself as a Binghamton homeowner and regular observer of city budgets said the city has had unspent federal housing funds and criticized administration spending choices. That commenter cited two figures during remarks: CDBG funds previously referenced as an outstanding balance (an amount cited as $800,000) and a separate HOME program balance the speaker described as $1,800,000 received in 2021 and still unused. The council did not provide fiscal confirmations during the meeting; the article reports those amounts only as the speaker presented them.

What’s next

O25-57 will appear on the next business meeting agenda for final consideration when a sufficient number of council members are present. The council did not vote to issue a formal condemnation or take formal action regarding the circulating video during this meeting. Citizens and groups seeking council action on renaming Columbus Park or a formal response to the video will need to follow up with council staff or on future agendas.

Ending notes

The meeting record shows five affirmative roll-call votes for O25-58 and R25-58 and the holdover of O25-57. Several residents and email correspondents urged the council to publicly address the candidate’s circulated video; councilors spoke about the harm of the content and the need for further community conversation. The council adjourned after those items.