The Laws, Rules and Government Services Committee (Chairman Heppner and Legislators Gavaris, Levine, Roberts, and Ronk)

Legislator Brian Cahill and Legislators Criswell, Greene, Levine, Maloney, Sperry, Walter, and Uchitelle offer the following:

WHEREAS, in accordance with the Charter, the Commission on Reapportionment (“the Commission”) was convened on January 7, 2021 to “create district boundary lines delineating each of the 23 legislative districts” (Charter § C-10 F(1)) and “to reapportion them as necessary to meet established in State and Federal law” (Charter § C-10 (A)); and 

WHEREAS, the appointed members of the Commission undertook their work diligently and in good faith and presented a map setting forth 23 legislative districts to the Commissioners of the Ulster County Board of Election in July 2022; and 

WHEREAS, following the filing of the district map with the Board of Elections, it became evident that the newly created districts did not comport with the guidelines set forth in the General Municipal Law of the State of New York; and

WHEREAS, in October 2022, the County Attorney issued memorandums to both the Commission and Legislature in which he opined that the new district lines established by the Commission do not comport with the redistricting criteria promulgated within the General Municipal Law of the State of New York, recommending that the Commission reconvene to bring the map into compliance with the Law; and

WHEREAS, the Charter expressly provides that the Commission shall remain constituted until “the day following the general election in the years ending in “3” (Charter Section C-10(H)); and

WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of all citizens of Ulster County that Ulster County’s district map be in compliance with the General Municipal Law of the State of New York; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, the Ulster County Legislature hereby requests that the Commission on Reapportionment convene a meeting as soon as practicable and redraw Ulster County’s legislative district map in a manner consistent with the redistricting criteria set forth in State and Federal Law,

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                       NOES:      

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE