Quote:
Originally Posted by ckh
Man, I wonder if Ithaca would consider having the town portion annexed into the city and become a city of 50,000 or more considering the growth occurring there? It is definitely an exciting time there.
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Two of the biggest reasons the two won't merge is that the city holds more debt than the town, and that it has a somewhat higher tax rate (property taxes in the city are about 15% higher). Some people have also claimed they would rather not share services with the city, and you also get a little bit of classism in the mix, as some older town residents view the city as rife with crime and poverty, and merger would allow it to spread into the town. But generally, tax structure and financial reasons are the biggest hurdles, and it's the same issue that prevents the neighboring village of Cayuga Heights from merging.