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THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 27, 2002
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TO BROOKLYN
Politicians Vow To Fight Redistricting
by Rob MacKay
Despite public criticism by hundreds of community residents, the Redistricting Commission upheld its plan to split Ridgewood into two City Council districts last Wednesday. Nevertheless, a few local politicians and civic leaders are still fighting the proposal.
“I call again on Mayor Michael Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Gifford Miller and local Council Member Dennis Gallagher to reject this map,” said Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan. “I am deeply, deeply disappointed that this unelected commission chose to disregard the voice of our multi-ethnic community.”
Nolan noted that the plan would move about 3,000 Maspeth denizens and about one-third of Ridgewood residents into a Bushwick-based Council seat.
“It divides Ridgewood’s political strength, creates unnecessary divisions and goes against the will of the people as expressed by hundreds of Ridgewood residents who traveled to the [Redistricting Commission] hearing,” she said. “Our Ridgewood community will come out of this united and strengthened regardless of the political machinations of the anonymous powerbrokers who crafted this ill-advised plan.”
A whole new council
Meanwhile, Council Member Gallagher, whose district is on the hot seat, has come up with an alternative plan that would create two new Council seats and eliminate some community boards, while expanding others.
Add one Council district in Queens and another one in the Bronx to the existing 51, proposes Gallagher, and dissolve six community boards from the existing 59.
That would mean that there would be 53 Council districts and 53 community boards, which Gallagher would then make co-terminus.
“Adding the seats would mean an extra cost for the taxpayers,” he said. “But reducing the number of community boards would off-set it, and I think service delivery would improve.”
Gallagher estimates the district population would drop from 157,025 people to 151,099 on average. And the lines could easily accommodate the need to create minority-dominant districts as per the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Plus, it would mean that no districts would be shared by different boroughs (read: All of Ridgewood would stay in Queens).
The New York Municipal Home Rule and the City Charter allow for the creation of new districts, and there is a recent precedent. In 1991, the 35-member Council grew to its present census of 51.
Next steps
Right now, the Council has two more weeks to evaluate the Redistricting Commission’s proposal. Then there will probably another round of hearings. The plan is scheduled for a final, binding vote in March.