Letter to the editor: Ward 5 voters: Support Gepe Zurenda for thoughtful, compassionate leadership

To the Editor:

Ward 5 voters – I urge you to vote for G. P. (Gepe) Zurenda to represent you on Ithaca’s Common Council!

As a Tompkins County Legislator for 20 years, I had to make many difficult choices about money. Gepe is super qualified for that responsibility, with the ability to make wise, nuanced, and compassionate fiscal choices.

Gepe’s first career being in manufacturing, his extensive management experience included having to make hard calls when revenues just didn’t cover expenses. With a second career as a clinical social worker serving many clients with addiction, Gepe’s empathy for the struggles people live with runs deep. He is uniquely qualified to handle the complex decisions an alderperson must make.

The candidates’ platforms are also starkly different. Gepe’s blog (gpforithacacc.com/blog) shows his understanding of competing needs and presents practical solutions that will make a difference. I’m afraid his opponent’s platform is more of a wish list, with nothing about how she’d pay for her aspirations.

The Tompkins County Democratic Committee (TCDC) has a rule that committee members shall support the primary winner for the general election, regardless of who they endorsed in the primary. If the member wants to publicly support another candidate, they must resign from TCDC. I agree with this rule (and wish that Democrats in New York City would follow it and support Zohran Mamdani!).

Therefore I have submitted my resignation from TCDC so that I can write this letter. It means that much to me.

-Martha Robertson
Tompkins County Legislator, 2002-2021
Town of Dryden