After months of public hearings, a redistricting commission divided on party lines, allegations of gerrymandering and Monday’s marathon hearing on the Republican legislative majority’s proposed district map, the Nassau County Legislature did nothing.
Republican officials had anticipated holding a vote on the map after Monday’s hearing, but Presiding Officer Norma Gonsalves (R-East Meadow) called the meeting into recess late that night after hours of almost universally critical testimony from residents, Democrats and local civic groups.
“Basically, just out of respect for all the people who were there till one o’clock in the morning giving their public comment, they thought it was appropriate to take some time to digest the testimony,” said Cristina Brennan, the legislative majority press secretary. “It certainly wasn’t planned on throughout the day.”
The legislature will vote on an amended map on March 5 – the legal deadline for the approval of a new map. The changes to the plan, filed Tuesday night, keep Legislator Dave Denenberg (D-Merrick) in his old district instead of placing him with fellow Democratic incumbent Joseph Scannell (D-Baldwin).
“The changes was made because there was a concern expressed by legislator (Denise) Ford (R-Long Beach) about the fairness of having Dave Denenberg excluded from his old district,” said Francis Moroney, the Republican non-voting chair of the redistricting commission and the majority’s point person on designing the new map. “This will have no effect on the overall deviation.”
Diane Goims, president of New York Communities for Change, one of the groups that vocally opposed the map at the hearing, cheered the Legislature’s decision to postpone a vote.
“I think they started to have to listen to the people,” Goims said. “There’s too many people against that map and they had to go back to the drawing board.”
While the GOP plan introduced in the bipartisan commission sought to divide Great Neck into two districts, the new proposal keeps the peninsula unified.
But the new proposal contained major changes to other communities in Nassau County.
Nassau County Legislator Wayne Wink’s (D-Roslyn) 11th district would be dramatically altered, leaving him in the same district as Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove). The 11th District would gain Glen Cove, and lose parts of Herricks, Albertson, East Hills and parts of Roslyn Heights.
Nassau County Legislator Richard Nicolello’s (R-New Hyde Park) 9th district would extend north through Roslyn Estates, Manhasset, Plandome Manor and parts of Herricks, and he would lose Carle Place and parts of Westbury.
A redrawn 16th district, currently represented by Judith Jacobs (D-Woodbury) would also stretch east from Plainview to parts of Roslyn Heights now represented by Wink. And Several previously unified communities – including the Five Towns, the village of Hempstead and Hicksville – would be divided into multiple districts.
In addition to Wink and De-Riggi Whitton, the map would have placed incumbent Democrats Denenberg (Merrick) and Scannell (Baldwin) in the same district. It would also merge the districts of Republicans Joseph Belisi (R-Farmingdale) and Michael Venditto (R-Massapequa).
The plan, introduced by the Legislature’s Republican majority after the county’s bipartisan Temporary Redistricting Advisory Commission failed to recommend a map in January, is the result of required redistricting following demographic changes recorded in the 2010 census.
Moroney defended the proposal as fitting all the legal and constitutional requirements for redistricting. The new map better adhered to the principle of “one man, one vote” by creating districts more equal in population, according to figures cited by Moroney.
“The result of this map is that there are 19 competitive districts that comply with one man, one vote,” Moroney said.
But residents were vocal and nearly unanimous in their condemnation of the map and the public hearing process. The legislative chamber was overflowing into its entry hall by the hearing’s 1:00 p.m. start time, and people in attendance waited hours to speak as the Legislature first dealt with other county business.
The hearing on redistricting began at about 4:15 p.m., by which time some residents had left to pick up children and attend to work matters. It would last until 1:00 a.m., following heated questioning of Moroney by Democratic legislators.
“I think it’s a disgrace. I think it shows an absolute disregard to the people in the community,” said Roslyn resident Carol Blumenthal. “It’s obvious they don’t care what the communities feel or think or what’s good for the people.”
Blumenthal, a Democrat, said she was concerned about the way redistricting had been handled and was not motivated by partisanship in her opposition.
“I don’t consider this a Democratic or Republican issue,” she said.
Residents reserved some of their harshest criticism for what they saw as the map’s splitting of established communities into separate districts.
“I know that you have diluted the Westbury voting strength,” said Dr. Irene Hilton of Westbury. “You have done that not just to my community but to other communities.”
East Hills Deputy Mayor Manny Zuckerman also attacked the proposal, which would have split Roslyn into four legislative districts.
“East Hills is vehemently opposed to this redistricting,” Zuckerman said. “I would hope that you reconsider this map, which would destroy our political influence.”
