Letter to the editor: Write in John Duthie and Joe Lovejoy for Lansing Town Board 

My name is John Duthie, and I’m running with Joe Lovejoy as bi-partisan write-in candidates for the Lansing Town Board on Nov 4. 

I’ve been a lifelong resident of Lansing for 36 years. Athletic hall of fame member, 2-time NYS golf champion at Lansing High school, business owner and taxpayer, planning board member, and Zoning committee member. 

We are running to help Lansing get back to a place where business can thrive, the community can grow and prosper, and the Town Board becomes a transparent governing body that takes in everyone’s ideas as input, not just their own. 

Over the last 4 years Lansing has been spending money at an alarming rate. The levy amount has increased from a total budget of 2.2M in 2021 to 3.8M in 2025. This is a 72.8% increase. They have spent $1.64M more in a 4 year period and this doesn’t include what we will be paying for the new Highway Department building. The next closest town in the county is Dryden with a 30% increase. The town of Ithaca actually went down -.3% in four years. This year the Town Board is proposing a preliminary budget with another 20% increase. They will raise the tax rate from 1.91 to 2.31 per thousand of assessed value. We can’t afford it and residents are being pushed out and moving. 

On top of the massive spending increases, the Town Board is considering a one-year Land Use Moratorium on almost all commercial/Industrial development for at least one year, if not longer. This means no new revenue or growth in the town to offset the massive spending increases. 

The impact of what one new business will contribute to our local Lansing economy cannot be replaced. They use local businesses for everything they do. Sales tax, also called spending money, contributes to our budget. Turning away the possibility of a new business will not only cost us revenue this year, but possibly for the next 20-30 years. 

Lansing is becoming an unaffordable bedroom community to Ithaca with such stringent rules/ restrictions on business development that nobody is considering moving to Lansing anymore. 

Please help me bring Lansing back to a place where business growth and community can thrive together again, we can lower our taxes, and make Lansing an easier place to live. Please vote for me John Duthie, and Joe Lovejoy as write-in candidates for the Lansing Town Board on Nov 4th. Securing Lansing’s Future!! (Facebook page.)

John Duthie, Lansing