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Brooklyn Public Hearing on City Council Redistricting
August 21, 2022 @ 3:30 pm - 7:30 pm
New York City Council Map Redistricting
Why is this important?
The New York City Council districts are redrawn every 10 years to reflect the information gathered during the US Census. City Council districts decide which candidate covers their specific area of NYC, and those candidates get to decide on how to spend about $5 million annually. This includes tasks such as paving roads, building playgrounds and distributing funds to non profits.
So, who decides this?
The Districting Commission, a group of 15 individuals; 5 members chosen by the majority party (one from each borough); 3 from the minority party (each from a different borough); the last 7 are chosen by the mayor. Once these 15 people finalize the map, it cannot be changed by city council or the mayor.
What should we look out for?
There are many rules set by the City Charter for the redistricting process. Here are just a few that we find essential:
Keep neighborhoods and communities of interest intact. Residents who share histories, religions, economic systems, countries of origin, etc. should not be harmed during the process. This includes public spaces like parks, schools and waterfronts.
Prevent partisan gerrymandering. No lines should be drawn that hinders voters based on political party.
Protect minority vote. Lines cannot be drawn to diminish the voting power of racial or language minority groups.
A full report of the redistricting process can be found here. If you would like to see an interactive map of each NYC district and their changes, click here.
Public Hearings
The Districting Commission has created a series of hearings to discuss the upcoming changes, and hear from residents impacted by the changes. Anyone can submit a written, in-person, or virtual statement. They’re even accepting handwritten map proposals! The Brooklyn hearing will be held on Sunday, August 21st at 3:30PM. You can join in-person at Medgar Evers College, School of Science & Technology Dining Hall (1638 Bedford Ave). Virtual participation is encouraged! The Zoom and YouTube links will be provided closer to the event.