The Orange County
Legislature's chambers (MHN File Photo)
Goshen – The Orange County Legislature’s contentious redistricting process was dealt another setback at Thursday’s meeting with Legislators voting against sending a draft map of new legislative districts to the public for comment due to concerns over how the plan was developed.
The Legislature voted 10-8 not to move forward to public comment after heated exchanges on the floor. Legislators Joe Minuta, Joel Sierra, and Mike Anagnostakis did not attend the meeting.
“There was no transparency and the process was ridiculously flawed,” said Republican Legislator Kevin Hines. “Nobody was included and they gerrymandered the map and that is why so many legislators rejected it. I’m disappointed in the map and they might as well have (Attorney General) Letitia James draw up the map.”
If the Legislature does not have a redistricting map approved by September 22nd, James’ office may intervene in the process, several Legislators said.
“ I think we are here because the committee was never set up to successfully carry out the redistricting process,” Democratic Legislator Genesis Ramos said. “Having only six out of 21 legislators meeting with the consultants while the rest of the legislature didn’t get access to them or were able to fully understand the process as to how the maps are being drawn is problematic. Other counties form independent redistricting commissions to avoid this because this is inherently a political process, and the bipartisan vote demonstrates this sentiment across the board.”
Ramos hopes that a Legislative working session can be set up to go over the map with next month’s deadline looming. Katie Bonelli, Chairwoman of the Orange County Legislature, did not return a phone call seeking comment for this story.
Hines and fellow Republicans Ron Feller, Leigh Benton, Kathy Stegenga, Janet Sutherland, and Pete Tuohy voted against the draft map moving forward to public comment, along with Democrats Kevindaryan Lujan, Laurie Tautel, Mike Paduch and Ramos. Bonelli, Faggione, and fellow Republicans Barry Cheney, Glenn Ehlers, Jim O’Donnell, Rob Sassi, and Paul Ruskiewicz voted in favor of the proposal as did Independent Michael Amo.
The legislature is creating the new map with the assistance of Applied Geographic, a redistricting vendor they hired in 2023. The 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.
“The redistricting committee overestimated the amount of votes they had to get the map to public comment,” Lujan said. “I think it speaks volumes that the map was voted against in a bipartisan manner. The process has been horrible and there has been no transparency or accountability. Now we have to figure this out in a short period or there will be ramifications.”
Source: Mid-Hudson News
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