The New York City Districting Commission is sifting through more than 8,300 submissions it received from diverse populations from Harlem to Hollis.
in person and via Zoom during 24 and half hours of hybrid public hearings in each of the five boroughs and one fully-virtual session; sent by mail, and online.
This public input will enable the Commission to further refine the proposed maps.
The Commission’s first stage of mapmaking produced a Preliminary Plan which Commissioners voted to publish on July 15th, 2022.
This is the plan about which so many New Yorkers have been sharing their comments.
By comparison, the New York State Independent Redistricting Commission, responsible for state legislative and congressional districts, last year generated 3,700 submissions.
The 2013 NYC Districting Commission collected 1,500 submissions.
“We made a decision early in the process that we were going to throw as wide a net as possible to solicit public opinion for the Preliminary Plan,” said Chair Dennis Walcott.
The Commission advertised in the community and ethnic weeklies, on Twitter and Instagram, provided a wide array of information sessions to community groups across the city and sent CUNY and Summer Youth Employment Program interns canvassing across the five boroughs with palm cards promoting the hearings.
“We had such a tremendous response we had to extend our Queens hearing past midnight and added a morning Zoom hearing because demand to testify was so high.” continued Walcott. “And we’re still receiving testimonials by mail and online daily.”
To get a head start, the Commission has been tracking responses to the Preliminary Plan since it was published.
Now it is preparing to revise the Preliminary Plan based on this public testimony to create a Revised Plan.
The Commission is projected to vote on this Revised Plan and submit it to the City Council by late September.
The Commission was established by the City Charter to draw a City Council plan every ten years following the U.S. Census.
This process ensures that council districts reflect population and demographic changes. It includes compliance with relevant laws and regulations, including the U.S. Constitution, the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the New York City Charter.
The Commission’s website is www.nyc.gov/districting. Public testimony can still be submitted by email to publictestimony@redistricting.nyc.gov or by mail to 253 Broadway, 3rd Fl., NY, NY 10007.
Follow the Commission on Twitter and Instagram @districtingNYC.
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