• Wednesday, May 23, 2012

The mayoral campaign will come to a head Tuesday when Ithacans hit the polls to choose their next mayor.

Current Mayor Carolyn Peterson announced she would not seek reelection in March, leaving Ithaca’s mayoral seat vacant for the first time since her initial election in 2003. Independence Party candidate J.R. Claiborne, Republican Janis Kelly, Democrat Svante Myrick and independent Wade Wykstra are all competing for the open position.

In “Where They Stand,” The Ithacan asked each of the four candidates to explain their stances on five key issues — hydraulic fracturing, The Commons Redesign Project, the city’s $3 million debt, Ithaca College and Cornell University’s tax contributions to the city and the Jungle, a local homeless community.