Alderperson Kayla Matos upset a 12-year incumbent in both the Democratic primary and general election in 2023 to win a competitive four-year term on Ithaca’s Common Council. Central to that campaign was Matos’ record as second-in-command of a local nonprofit and a vow to tackle rising rents.
On her road to victory, the now 27-year-old progressive left out one detail: that she had pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated just a year earlier, according to Ithaca City Court records reviewed by The Sun.
Even as she held public office, the First Ward alderperson failed to pay a $500 court fine that she had previously agreed to as part of her guilty plea. The Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office issued Matos a civil judgment order — a formal demand to pay — in March 2024.
Tompkins County Clerk Maureen Reynolds and an Ithaca City Court clerical assistant both told The Sun that a database displaying Ithaca City Court fines showed Matos’ balance was still unpaid, more than three years after it was due.
In an email statement to The Sun, Matos — who serves as acting mayor, meaning that she is expected to fill in when the mayor is unavailable — said she regrets driving drunk but didn’t dispute failing to pay the fine.
Matos said she has since attended counseling and has “been able to invest back the way others did for me during my time of need.”
A breathalyzer test showed Matos’ blood alcohol content was 0.15 — almost twice the legal limit of 0.08 — well after she had crashed into a parked car in downtown Ithaca on an early morning in October 2021, according to a police incident report from the time. The report noted that Matos’ breathalyzer test, which took place at the Ithaca police station after she had been arrested, was conducted nearly an hour and 45 minutes from the time the officer had responded to the scene.
Before her arrest, Matos said she only had two drinks that night, though her slurred speech, bloodshot eyes and poor performance on field sobriety tests appeared to suggest otherwise, the responding Ithaca police officer wrote.
In March 2022, she pleaded guilty to a first-time DWI charge, a misdemeanor. Her license was revoked for six months, court records show. An ignition interlock device was installed for more than seven months on a car that she had been sharing with her family. She was ordered to attend a victim impact panel and complete an impaired driver program.
The year leading up to her arrest, Matos said, “was a tough one — I lost one of my parental figures and was in an abusive relationship.” She described the moment as a “wake-up call and a turning point” in her life. Others, she added, “can relate to having struggles in their past, and I am sorry for my actions.”
As part of her guilty plea, she also agreed to pay the $500 fine to the Ithaca City Court. The fine was due in June 2022.
Matos was sent a final notice for payment from the Ithaca City Court in late December 2023, according to a copy reviewed by The Sun. It warned that failure to respond could result in a warrant for her arrest or a civil judgment issued against her.
“I think everybody should pay their fines, but certainly if it was me and I owed a fine to the court, I would pay it with due diligence,” said Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, whose office filed the civil judgment order against Matos last year.
However, Van Houten said it’s his practice not to pursue punishment against someone for failing to pay a fine, including Matos.
Matos once studied at Ithaca College. She now serves as deputy director of the Southside Community Center, where she has worked for years. The Ithaca nonprofit offers support and community events for Black Ithacans.
In November 2023, Matos won her Common Council bid, with her term expiring in December 2027. She was sworn in in January 2024, representing the First Ward, which includes Ithaca’s Northside and Southside neighborhoods, as well as South Hill and West Hill.
“While I regret my mistakes,” Matos said, “I am proud of how I’ve been able to turn my life to public service, and I want anyone else in a dark place to know things can get better.”
Gabriel Levin is the investigations senior editor for the 143rd Editorial Board, a former editor-in-chief from the 142nd Editorial Board and a member of the Class of 2026 in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at glevin@cornellsun.com or by phone or Signal at +1 949-584-5968.
