ITHACA, N.Y. — Fourth Ward Alderman Graham Kerslick is seeking to serve another term on Ithaca Common Council this fall.

Kerslick was first elected to Common Council in 2011 and represents the West Campus and Collegetown area, along with Alderman Stephen Smith.

He currently serves as liaison to the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency, the Community Police Board, and the Recreation Partnership.

In an emailed statement Wednesday about his reelection bid, Kerslick said:

I am particularly proud to have played a key role in the revision of the Collegetown Plan and its unanimous adoption by Council in 2014. This plan has spurred significant new development in the core of Collegetown that has resulted in an expansion and improvement of much needed student housing and a diversification of commercial enterprises.

At the same time, the plan seeks to preserve surrounding residential neighborhoods to maintain the diversity and vitality of the area. With the Rental Housing Advisory Group I worked to achieve significant improvement in exterior property maintenance policy to increase compliance, improve notification and reduce unfair penalties.

On behalf of constituents I have also helped to address quality of life issues such as noise and traffic in our neighborhood.

If elected, Kerslick said he will continue advocating for issues such as accessibility to housing, public safety, economic development, inequality and public engagement in local government.

“Proposed funding cuts to healthcare, community development & housing grants and environmental protection will inflict significant hardships, particularly on those people on low or moderate incomes. Working with the public we must continue to inform elected officials at state and federal levels of government of the damage such proposals will do to local communities,” Kerslick said, “There is, as always, much more to do, and it’s clear that the next four years will be especially challenging.”

Jolene Almendarez is Managing Editor at The Ithaca Voice. She can be reached at jalmendarez@ithacavoice.com; you can learn more about her at the links in the top right of this box.