Adam Vinson ’25 is seeking a seat on the Tompkins County Legislature with a focus on two issues: advancing Ithaca’s climate goals and strengthening student engagement in local politics.
Vinson, who is running uncontested, announced his candidacy in August, running as the Democratic Party and Working Families Party’s nominee for the 4th district, which encompasses Collegetown and parts of the Cornell campus. He has received endorsements from the 314 Action Fund and Sunrise Ithaca.
Vinson, a recent Cornell alumnus, majored in environment and sustainability with a concentration in environmental policy and governance. During his time at Cornell, he served as the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ representative before being elected executive vice president of the Student Assembly. He also served as the chair of the Environmental Committee.
As EVP in the Assembly, Vinson worked on numerous resolutions, but specified Resolution 37, “Protecting Immigrant Students,” and Resolution 27, “Preventing an Extinction,” as his major accomplishments in an interview with The Sun.
Resolution 37 calls on the University to protect undocumented, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, international, refugee and other immigrant students through various programs and training. Resolution 27 calls on the University to intervene in the Paleontological Research Institution’s financial crisis to preserve an important resource for Cornell students.
Noting the various development projects in Collegetown that affect student housing, Vinson said that he plans to push for sustainable development.
“I'm running to represent Collegetown, which is where a lot of the development is happening right now,” Vinson said. “I want to make sure that we can steer [the development] in a direction [so] we're using sustainable materials that don't have a high carbon output, and which don't require those who are going to be living in them to have to spend so much on electricity.”
In addition to green development in Collegetown, Vinson said he is collaborating with fellow candidate Robin Trumble on a proposal to extend Ithaca’s bar last call time to 2 a.m. to extend nightlife in Ithaca.
“This is something that would be good for our economy, and it would be good for the student body,” Vinson said.
Emphasizing the impact of local government on students’ lives, Vinson urged students to be more connected to local and county-wide happenings.
“Students, I feel, just from talking to a lot of people, don't really feel as connected to Ithaca as they should be, and I'm running in part to try to let people know that what happens here does matter,” Vinson said. “The legislature is in charge of so many things that impact them, from the last call policy to things like the roads that so many students drive on; it’s in charge of helping to allocate all kinds of resources, and spreading the word about other state and national programs that students can rely on.”
Besides amplifying student engagement, another major goal for Vinson — who describes himself as a “staunch environmentalist” — is to continue the fight against climate change in Ithaca despite federal pressures.
“I think a lot needs to be done to maintain this progress [fighting climate change], especially since it’s under threat from developments happening on the national scale — the threats to defund municipalities [and] to defund scientific research at our university,” Vinson said.
Specifically, Vinson mentioned the need to maintain and support existing programs, such as the Ithaca Green New Deal and its projects, which include installing a solar panel array at the SouthWorks property and conducting energy assessments for the Ithaca City School District.
The Ithaca Green New Deal is a resolution adopted by the Common Council in 2019, pledging to achieve community-wide carbon neutrality by 2030. The program faced significant roadblocks in March, with 85 percent of its funding being frozen by the federal government as part of President Donald Trump’s spending cuts.
At the county level, Vinson said he hopes to review the effectiveness of the sustainable development tax credit, which aims to lower rents but has seen mixed results.
“Our sustainable development tax credit does look somewhat promising as a way to help lower rents, but I’ve heard many mixed things about it, and it hasn’t been as utilized as it could be by local developers,” Vision explained.
Vinson also raised concerns about harmful algal blooms in Cayuga Lake, saying that he plans to work with groups like Cayuga Lake Watershed Intermunicipal Organization to find solutions to address the issue.
Vinson emphasized the role of students and young people in local decision-making as he noted a lack of representation of young voices in the legislature.
“The median age of this county is 33, and I don't believe there's anyone 33 or younger in the legislature,” Vinson said. “30 percent of this county's population is students, [and yet], there are no students serving on the legislature, and as far as I know, no students even serving on the advisory boards to the legislature.”
If elected, Vinson would be the youngest member of the Tompkins County Legislature at age 22. He said he hopes to bridge the gap between students and local government, deepening their connections to the community.
“We need someone who can push for more opportunities so that we can get students more involved, deepen the ties that these students have, and allow people to see Ithaca for the wonderful place that I see it as,” Vinson said.
Taehee Oh is a member of the Class of 2026 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a senior writer for the News department and can be reached at toh@cornellsun.com.
