Middletown residents press council for stronger Gaza ceasefire resolution and tenant protections

Dozens of Middletown residents used the council's public-comment period to press for firmer action on international and local issues, urging the Common Council to adopt a ceasefire resolution that explicitly calls for an immediate, permanent ceasefire and to advance strong good-cause eviction protections.

Jason Eachman, a city resident, told the council the existing resolution "calls for global peace" but lacks language demanding a permanent ceasefire and stopping military funding; he said Middletown should "add our city to the list of municipalities calling on our federal government to end the violence." Sam Kimball, an Orange County resident, similarly urged the council to "call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an embargo on all military aid to Israel," saying local officials can exert pressure through public statements and shared civic action.

Speakers tied the foreign-policy demand to local priorities. Chelsea Villalba, a licensed social worker, commended the council for a prior resolution but cited casualty figures "over 120,000" from the Lancet and urged redirecting federal funds toward housing and childcare rather than arms. Multiple tenants and students recounted steep rent increases or threatened evictions, asking the council to adopt a Good Cause Eviction ordinance modeled on other upstate cities that includes a one-unit portfolio-size exemption and narrow luxury exemptions.

Council members responded that Good Cause Eviction is under consideration by the legislative committee and that administration staff are studying the issue; a council member reiterated that committee review is ongoing and that advocates will be able to present when the administration has compiled the requested facts and figures. The meeting record also shows a private meeting on the issue between an advocate and council representatives scheduled for a subsequent Thursday, which a member said had not been disclosed during earlier remarks.

The public-comment speakers represented a range of perspectives but were united in asking the council to go beyond symbolic language. The council did not vote on new ceasefire language or adopt a local eviction ordinance during the meeting; members said the Good Cause measure remains in committee and will be advanced when staff and the committee are ready.