Bipartisan Commission Approves New Redistricting Plan

Farmingville, NY – New Town Board district lines have been proposed by the Brookhaven Town Redistricting Commission. The eight members of the Commission voted unanimously to approve a plan moving only 5.1% of the town’s population into new districts (24,548 persons). With a low population variance among districts of 5.1%, the Commission’s proposal also unites more communities and school districts than the plan enacted in 2003.

The Town must have new district lines in place for 2013 elections. Federal and state law require legislative districts to be redistricted every ten years after the federal census. The Brookhaven Redistricting Commission was created by the Town Board earlier this year to provide for an independent bipartisan redistricting process.

After a series of hearings in each of the Town’s six districts, the Commission developed a new map designed to comply with federal equal population requirements, relocate as few people as possible into new districts and keep communities and school districts intact. Public comment also played a major role.

A complete list of the ED changes from the current plan is as follows:

• Move from district 4 to district 3: ED 294, 186, 145, 85, 54, and 157 (all are from Sachem School District)
• Move from district 2 to district 1: ED 110 (solidifies Brookhaven-Comsewogue SD)
• Move from district 4 to district 5: ED 149 (solidifies Patchogue-Medford SD in district 5- note that there is one split block on the ED boundary between 246 and 247 that is now in the 5th because the census geography cannot be split to follow the exact ED boundary. 246 is already in the 5th)
• Move from district 6 to district 4: ED 141, and 113 (Ridge EDs moved, solidifies more of Longwood SD in the 4th)
• Move from district 4 to district 6: ED 273 and 278 (solidifies more of Floyd SD in the 4th)
• Move from district 5 to district 4: ED 69 and 144 (solidifies more of South Country SD in district 4 though this is a smaller move than in the previous option 5 map)
• Move from district 2 to district 4: ED 33 (Coram, includes more of Longwood SD in district 4)

Members of the Commission included three Republicans, three Democrats and two Independent voters.

“The Commission worked as a team. I was very pleased to keep politics out of our effort,” said Commission Co-Chair Martin G. Callahan (Miller Place). “Our plan demonstrates that independent redistricting can work,” he added.

“Communities and people came first, not politics. We were able to keep neighborhoods and many school districts together. Our plan moved as few people as possible into new districts,” said Co-Chair Rev. Dr. Beresford Adams (Coram)

The Commission met the September 15 deadline for a new plan set by the Town Board. The Town Board must approve the plan by December 15.

For more information, contact Jeff Wice at 347-413-2859 or visit www.brookhaven.org where you can also watch videos of past meetings and public hearings.