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The County’s Independent Redistricting Commission tonight voted to recommend an adjusted 14-district plan to reapportion County legislative districts.

The specific plan to be recommended in the Commission’s report to the Legislature, which was supported by a Commission vote of 6-2, adjusts slightly district boundaries within the City of Ithaca, compared to the scenario that had been advanced at two public hearings held in recent weeks.  In recommending the modified scenario, Commission Chair Dr. Henrik Dullea noted that it responds to input provided from citizens at those hearings and from members of the City’s Redistricting Committee.

The recommended scenario adjusts City district lines to include the eastern side of Linn Street and the census block that includes University Avenue in the Fall Creek district, and to extend the Central City district from Collegetown down to the Ithaca Commons.  Acknowledging that the City Committee’s deliberations to determine City ward lines are still in process, the modification incorporates district boundaries that drew support this week among members of the City Committee as a preferred strategy, an approach that City Redistricting Chair Tom Frank said could likely could be accommodated with congruent boundaries if the City opts to reduce the number of City wards from five to four, or could coordinate, with the addition of a few election districts, if the City wards remain at five.


After discussion, the Commission also declined to incorporate another adjustment proposed in the Coddington Road area of the Town of Ithaca, where, because of the population confines imposed by the census block associated with Ithaca College, Districts 11 and 12 are divided down the middle of the road.  Commission member Linda Duttweiler noted that Coddington, between Burns Road and Hudson Street, is “a linear neighborhood,” encompassing three legislative districts within only a mile-and-a-half.  Although some discussion had occurred with staff level regarding whether the situation could be addressed by dividing census blocks, it was reported that County Attorney Jonathan Wood has strongly advised against any deviation from census blocks, since population distribution in that case would be very difficult for the County to justify.  Commission members advise that the issue of dividing Census blocks be addressed before the next Census in 2020.

Commission members agreed to present only the single 14-district recommended plan to the Legislature without  alternates, member Mike Hattery observing that the Commission has “done due diligence” in considering the alternatives and reaching its recommendation.  Hattery also said the Commission should suggest that, since villages were kept whole in the recommended redistricting plans, the County encourage villages to shift from spring to fall elections.

Chair Dullea is preparing a draft report for Commission members to review, to be presented to the Commission for final approval February 22, and to be submitted to the Legislature for its consideration before March 1.

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