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Public hearing draws residents urging funds for Stewart Park, unarmed responders, TCAT and participatory budgeting
Summary
At the Oct. 15 2025 budget public hearing, more than a dozen speakers urged the Ithaca Common Council to add or preserve funding for the Friends of Stewart Park, expand unarmed community responder programs and increase support for TCAT; several speakers also asked the council to allocate funds for participatory budgeting under Justice 50.
The Ithaca Common Council opened a public hearing on the proposed 2026 city budget on Oct. 15. More than a dozen speakers used the three-minute public-comment slots to press the council for funding on several community priorities.
Friends of Stewart Park leaders asked the council to add $50,000 to the city's budget to cover a $150,000 cost overrun on a completed splash pad and bathroom project and to support ongoing park maintenance and programs. Melanie McMurray, executive director of Friends of Stewart Park, said the organization has helped deliver large, mostly privately raised capital projects in partnership with the city and requested…
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