Redistricting in Tompkins County

The Tompkins County Board of Representatives has the authority to redraw its legislative district lines. The Charter Review Committee, a special committee of the Board, is using the following guidelines to determine the new districts: 1. The district lines should follow municipal, political, and census block boundaries as much as possible. 2. As much as possible, the population within any district should stay within a +/- 5 percent deviation from the ideal (an equal division of the population among the districts). 3. The redistricting process will be collaborative and non-partisan. 

County officials are using corrected census data, based on obvious errors in attributing college dormitory counts to the proper census block. The errors will be appealed to the Census Bureau later this year.

The passage of a local law, following a public hearing and a majority vote of the Board, will establish the new districts. The new districts will be in effect for the Board elections in November 2001. All of the Board of Representatives seats are up for election in 2001. 

Recent Media Releases

April 12, 2001: Census Errors Impact County Redistricting Effort
April 25, 2001: County Looks at Redrawing Election District Lines
May 4, 2001: Officials to Look at 13, 15, 16, or 17 Districts

Media Coverage

May 7, 2001: "County weighs district scenarios," The Ithaca Journal
 
 

 

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