Who we are:

We are a coalition of unions, organizations and neighbors pushing Cornell to negotiate a fair deal between the college and the community. We seek a much larger PILOT (payment-in-lieu-of-taxes) agreement with Cornell, and the allocation of those funds to essential public services that will benefit working class Ithacans, TC residents and ICSD families.

What is Make Cornell Pay?

Make Cornell Pay (“MCP”) is a coalition that is focused on securing sustainable long-term funding for Ithaca, Tompkins County and the Ithaca City School District. We are a group of community members and organizations advocating for an increased payment in lieu of taxes from Cornell University, the largest property owner and employer in both Ithaca and Tompkins County. MCP believes Cornell should make a financial contribution that reflects the assessed value of the real property they own, just like all property owners are required to do each year.

Why Cornell?

Cornell is the biggest landowner in the city of Ithaca, owning $2.6 billion in tax-exempt property. If they weren’t tax exempt via NYS law, they would owe around $35 million in taxes annually — enough to nearly double the city budget. In the past, the university has been resistant to paying sufficient contributions — our voices as workers and community members are the number one source of bargaining power for our community.

Why a campaign now?

The Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) between Cornell and the City of Ithaca, which governs the payments that Cornell makes as a substitute for paying taxes, is set to expire June 2024. Under this MOU Cornell’s contribution in 2023 was just about $1.5 million.

Re-negotiations of this MOU began in summer 2023. The re-negotiation of this MOU is the opportunity for our community to come together and demand more from Cornell University for Ithaca, the County and our schools for decades to come.

How do I get involved?

If you agree with us, sign our petition to the Cornell Board of Trustees.