Mayor's Office

About the Mayor

Svante L. Myrick was sworn into office in January 2012 and became, at 24, the City of Ithaca's youngest Mayor and first Mayor of color. Mayor Myrick was first elected to the Common Council at the age of 20 while still a junior at Cornell University.

Mayor Myrick's administration has achieved a radical overhaul of City government that merged departments, streamlined processes, and was able to successfully close an inherited $3 million deficit- all while improving services and lowering the City’s tax rate. Mayor Myrick’s approach to equitable economic development has helped Ithaca become the fastest growing economy in New York State and his active advocacy in Albany and in Washington D.C. has resulted in tens of millions of dollars in grants and awards from the State and Federal government.

Mayor Myrick released the Ithaca Plan: a Public Health and Safety Approach to Drugs and Drug Policy that garnered international attention for its forward thinking. Mayor Myrick has also gained some accolades for strengthening Ithaca's Sanctuary City status for refugees, passing the Ithaca Green New Deal, and rebuilding the Ithaca Commons.

Mayor Myrick has been awarded an Aspen Institute Fellowship, a Rabbi Beerman Peace and Justice Award, the John. F Kennedy New Frontier Award and others. He was also named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list, and the Fortune 40 under 40 list.

He ran and won to serve another four year term as Mayor of the City of Ithaca, leading with a commanding 89% of the vote in 2015. Mayor Myrick was re-elected to a third term with 76% of the vote in 2019.

Mayor Myrick on NBC's Rock Center with Brian Williams

Mayor Myrick's first days in office were captured by NBC's Rock Center with Brian Williams. View his inspiring story.