Every ten years, the New Rochelle City Council is required to redraw local council district boundaries to conform to the results of the most recent Census. Called “redistricting,” this process ensures fair and equal political representation for all the people of New Rochelle.
Redistricting can be controversial. Our last effort became embroiled in a legal dispute, and for some in the community, there is still a cloud of suspicion left over from that experience.
This year, the City Council is committed to completing the redistricting process in a transparent and inclusive manner that is open to public input and review. With this in mind, the Council Democrats yesterday distributed a memorandum outlining a suggested sequence of activities and also articulating the general principles that ought to govern new district boundaries. I hope and believe that the course of action described in this memorandum will meet the tests of fairness, openness, and efficiency.