Elmira City Council
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Top Row |
City Council Meetings
Members of the public are welcome to attend Elmira City Council meetings, which are held at 7:00pm on alternate Mondays in the second-floor Council Chamber at City Hall. If the meeting falls on a legal holiday, it is held on the next business day. Each meeting includes two public comment portions, which allow citizens to address the Council.
The Council, City Manager and City staff also meet at 10:00am on the Thursday prior to each regular Council meeting for workshops. These workshops are open to the public, and offer an opportunity for Council members and others to go over the week's agenda in detail.
Meeting agendas are available in PDF format from this website and in the City Manager/Mayor's office, located on the third floor of City Hall. Agendas are typically available on the Wednesday prior to any workshop. Council meeting minutes are posted online, usually within two days of the Monday meeting.
Agendas and Minutes
Attending Council Meetings
All City Council meetings and workshop meetings are open to the public. Each City Council meeting has two opportunities for the public to speak: one to speak on any item on the agenda and the second to speak on any item that is of the City's concern. Speakers are asked to state their name and address for the record and limit their time to 5 minutes. People who wish to speak at a City Council meeting who do not reside in the City of Elmira must first be recognized by a Councilmember. The public may also speak at a public hearing when they are scheduled.
The City Council is advised during the meeting by the Corporation Counsel, legal advisor to the Council; the City Chamberlain, financial advisor to the Council; and the City Manager, manager of City Department heads and daily operations of the City. The City Clerk is present to take the minutes and maintain the record. The meeting is chaired by the Mayor.
The City Council
The City is divided into six representative council districts. Each district elects a councilmember for a two year term to represent it on the City Council. The current councilmembers are:
| district | councilmember | section of City |
| First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth |
Susan J. Skidmore Carol M. Mechalke John J. Corsi Mark S. Hitchcock Robert C. Bailey James E. Hare |
Northwest Eastside and Downtown Northwest Northeast Southeast Southwest |
Click on the Councilmember's name above for a profile including contact information and a map of the district.
Contacting your Councilmember
The City Council serves the people. Residents should feel comfortable in contacting their city councilmember when there is a concern or problem in their neighborhood. The City Council does its best to address concerns and problems that are called to their attention and to seek a resolution or an explanation. Feel free to call your city councilmember at home, send an email, or call the City Council Secretary at (607) 737-5644. When contacting your councilmember, provide as many details as possible regarding your concern and basic contact information such as name, home address, phone number, and email address. Anonymous communication is read but may not be acted upon due to a lack of details and an inability to respond and follow up on the issue.
What a Councilmember Does
City Council Representatives serve the City by attending all regular and special council meetings and work within the committees they are assigned to by the Mayor. Councilmembers are responsible for creating, modifying, and upholding the laws in the City. The City Council appoints the City Manager who appoints the City Clerk, Corporation Counsel, and the City Chamberlain. To serve on the City Council you must be 18 years old and a resident of the district in which you wish to run. Councilmembers are elected for two year terms during elections taking place in odd-numbered years. The salary of a City Councilmember is $7,250 per year. One Councilmember is appointed as the Acting Mayor and assumes the duties of the Mayor in the Mayors absence. The Acting Mayor receives a salary of $7,800 per year.
The Comprehensive Master Plan Update
In 1998, the Elmira City Council commissioned Saratoga Associates to update the Comprehensive Master Plan. This Master Plan is used by the Council and City Staff to create a framework and direction for future projects, programs, investments, and expenditures to guide the City of Elmira into the future.
This Plan is meant to steer the City through the next decades and strengthen its existence as a regional center for infrastructure (transportation), institutions (colleges and hospitals), manufacturers, recreation and quality neighborhoods. The basic purpose of the Comprehensive Master Plan is to provide the City Council and Planning Commission with specific projects and policies on which to act. With the Master Plan, the City of Elmira will become a mixed-use community with a robust economy, healthy neighborhoods, a variety of recreational assets and a sound transportation network. The Comprehensive Master Plan is concerned with the long-range development of the City and, as a result, will help The City of Elmira secure a place in the regional, national and global marketplace.
The Comprehensive Master Plan Update for the City of Elmira, New York (December 1998) by Saratoga Associates is available for download. This file is over 12 megabytes in size and is not recommended for viewing over a dialup or slow internet connection.
