Calls for ethics investigation into Myrick ripple through Council; former mayor denies wrong-doing


ITHACA, N.Y. — City of Ithaca Alderperson Cynthia Brock announced that she has asked the Tompkins County Ethics Advisory Board to investigate former Mayor Svante Myrick’s role in payments made by a “third-party entity” to Eric Rosario and Karen Yearwood, among other points of inquiry. Rosario and Yearwood were co-leaders of the Reimagining Public Safety (RPS) working group tasked with providing recommendations on how to develop and implement the new Department of Community Safety and other major reforms of the plan.

The request by Brock is currently being reviewed by Tompkins County Attorney Bill Troy, who told The Ithaca Voice that he is reviewing whether the county’s Ethics Advisory Board — which is chaired by Tompkins County Legislator Rich John — has jurisdiction on the matter, before forming a recommendation to the board to exercise their authority. 

The statement from Troy stands in contrast to a claim that Brock made that “Tompkins County indeed agrees that there is likely an ethics violation here, and will be initiating the ethics advisory board to review this situation,” regarding Myrick on a host of allegations.