The Legislature has until Sept. 22 to approve a redistricting map.
GOSHEN – The Orange County Legislature voted unanimously at a special meeting on Thursday to spend as much as an additional $38,700 on a consultant to complete what has been an arduous redistricting process.
The legislature passed a resolution 16-0 to add more to the scope of Applied Geographic’s work. Hired in 2023, the redistricting vendor has already been paid $80,000 for its services. Several legislators have complained that the redistricting map is flawed and the process has lacked transparency and boxed certain Legislators out of the decision-making.
Chairwoman of the Legislature, Katie Bonelli, and Legislators Michael Amo, Joel Sierra, Rob Sassi, and Mike Anagnostakis did not attend the meeting.
Last week, the legislature voted 10-8 not to move forward with the map to public comment after heated exchanges on the floor. Legislators were set to meet with the consultant in groups of four on Friday to discuss the map and the plan is to also hold a public meeting to share the maps with residents.
“It was the first time in a long time that we made a collective decision as a legislature,” lawmaker Janet Sutherland said. “We have been so divided for so long. I hope that we can now move forward in the process with more transparency.”
Sutherland’s Republican counterpart, Kevin Hines, was not as optimistic as the process runs out of time. If the legislature does not have a redistricting map approved by September 22nd, Attorney General Letitia James’ office may intervene in the process, several legislators said.
“You can’t redistrict in a silo,” said Hines, who represents Cornwall, referring to the small meetings with the consultant. “If you make changes to one district, it can impact the entire county. It is probably the dumbest proposal in my 14½ years in the legislature. The map is absurd and that is why it was voted down 10-8. I am not sure that we will make the deadline.”
The redistricting map will be used in the upcoming November 2025 election.
The law requires that every 10 years in the election cycle following the census, state and local government districts be redrawn. All 21 county legislators are up for re-election next year and must run in new, reapportioned districts.
“Yesterday’s vote to extend and amend the contract to increase the amount for the consultants highlighted the need for the entire legislature to be involved from the start of the process,” Democratic Legislator Genesis Ramos said. “The lack of understanding among legislators has made it difficult to reach a consensus. I am glad that the vote will lead to a public meeting of the full legislature in the future, but I believe this situation could have been avoided if the county had used an independent commission for redistricting or had allowed meaningful and inclusive participation from legislators throughout the process.”
Ramos added that “there are still many concerns held by my colleagues.”
Source: Mid-Hudson News
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