The race for Tompkins County sheriff heated up today with a pretty big blast on incumbent Peter Meskill by Tim Little, one of his two challengers. Just in time for the candidate forum tomorrow, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 215 N. Tioga Street.
The candidate forum is sponsored by the League of Women Voters and will also include candidates for the races for State Assembly and County Clerk. But the race for Sheriff is shaping up as the most contentious by far.
Meskill is a two-term incumbent, and the Democratic Party candidate. Doug Robison is the Republican candidate, and Tim Little, a deputy sheriff, is running as a candidate of the Citizens for a Safe Tompkins.
Little's salvo came in today's Ithaca Journal, which printed pieces by all three candidates on alternatives to incarceration.
Meskill and Robison played it pretty safe, but Little said, "I am a strong supporter of ATI and know more can be done." He went on to criticize Meskill's record and sincerity:
"The current sheriff has had eight years to develop this program. He was not concerned with ATI while he was receiving variances to house more inmates. He was not a supporter of Offender Aid and Restoration in the past and conveniently has given them support in this election year. I will be a leader in the efforts, not a Sheriff that just gives support during election years."
You can hear the follow-up live tomorrow night. If you can't attend, the forum will be shown on local TV, Cable channel 13, at the following times:
Wednesday, 1 November, 1:30 p.m.
Thursday, 2 November, 9 a.m.
Saturday, 4 November, 8:30 p.m.
Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Blog
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