Orange County residents can comment in person on a draft county legislative district map at the county government center in Goshen between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Aug. 27.
Majority Leader Tom Faggione told The Epoch Times that he is pleased to see growing agreement among legislators in the redistricting process—the draft map cleared the legislature by a 15–2 vote—and that he is confident that it is the best version thus far to present to the public.
Cornwall legislator Kevin Hines, one of two lawmakers who voted against the map, said on the floor that the shape of his district has morphed into a horseshoe and that three maps, not one, should have been presented for public review, as previously agreed upon by the Legislature.
Minority leader Mike Paduch, the other dissenter, spoke against district line changes in the town of Wallkill area, and he also supported the idea of three maps.
Before casting a “yes” vote, Highland legislator Laurie Tautel suggested that the process could be more transparent by granting public access to all redistricting meetings, including those between legislators and consultants outside of public committee sessions.
Paul Ruszkiewicz, chairperson of the rules committee—the legislative committee that must approve a draft map before the full legislature can vote on it—told The Epoch Times that the redistricting process has been amended along the way based on legislator feedback and that there is still room for future improvement, perhaps by starting it earlier next time.
Sharp Growth, Stricter Laws
Both federal and state laws require that election districts at almost all government levels be redrawn based on fresh population counts from the decennial U.S. Census.Among 21 county districts, District No. 1, which currently includes the bulk of Kiryas Joel, has the single largest population growth per census data, massively affecting the entire map, according to AppGeo consultants at rules committee meetings.
Between 2010 and 2020, the population in Kiryas Joel grew by more than half, or nearly 12,800 people. The distant runner-up, the town of Wallkill, saw 3,000 more residents in the same period.
AppGeo, a Sanborn affiliate, was hired last year by the Legislature to assist in the redistricting process.
As consultants adjusted district lines to even out population differences, they said their leeway was cut in half by a new state law. In the past, the most and least populated county districts could have up to a 10 percent population difference; the new threshold is 5 percent.
Federal and state constitutions have long held that election districts contain similar numbers of residents in the spirit of “one person, one vote,” a principle that Gov. Kathy Hochul cited in a public statement after she signed off on the new law in 2021.
State Sen. James Skoufis, who represents most of Orange County, was the prime sponsor who carried the bill through the Senate before it became a law.
For Orange County, the new rule means that the population difference between the most and least populated districts cannot be more than about 955 people.
Plus, the new percentage rule must be considered before all of the other redistricting principles in the law. These principles, in descending order of importance, require that the redrawn districts not dilute minority votes, be contiguous and as compact in form as practical—in the words of AppGeo consultants, as normal looking as possible, such as in a square, circle, or rectangular form—and not favor any incumbents, candidates, or political parties.
Per the consultants, incumbent legislators’ home addresses were not considered in the process.
The least important redistricting rule under the law—and also where most legislators have suggestions of map changes during the redistricting process—is to maintain core areas in existing districts and respect municipal boundaries, including not dividing villages, cities, or towns whose populations are below 40 percent of that of a district.
In addition to that law, another new piece of legislation from 2023 aimed at strengthening the voice of minority voters comes into play.
“Essentially, if you have any kind of a situation where it could be alleged that there is vote dilution and that minority voters don’t have equal opportunity to vote, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act could kick in,” redistricting lawyer Jeff Wice said at a legislative meeting, before suggesting that the utmost effort be made to comply in order to avoid legal challenges.
The cities of Middletown and Newburgh have the most minority residents in Orange County.
Under the design of County Legislature Chairwoman Katie Bonelli, a working committee made up of Majority Leader Faggione, Minority Leader Paduch, legislator James O'Donnell, independent legislator Michael Amo, and Ruszkiewicz acts as the middle link between consultants and the rest of legislators in redistricting.
At an Aug. 8 special meeting, the Legislature approved up to a $38,700 new payment to AppGeo—on top of the $80,000 existing contract—to buy more time for all legislators to meet with and convey their feedback to the consultants, which had led to the draft map now for public review.
