Onondaga County, NY (NCC News) – The lack of bipartisanship in redistricting processes seen across the United States has played out in Onondaga County over the past few weeks.
Last Friday, the county legislature voted 9 to 8 to pass the new map, with 2 Republicans joining all 6 Democrats in opposition.
Dustin Czarny, the Democratic Onondaga County Elections Commissioner, believed his opponents were using their power to keep it in the future.
“It’s a naked partisan grab,” he said. “It’s a way to ensure minority rule with the Republicans who have gotten less and less of the vote share over the last several years.”
With the bill already passed, it heads to the desk of Ryan McMahon, the Onondaga County Executive, who will hold a public hearing tomorrow at 11 am. If signed, the map would be in effect for the next 10 years.
Czarny said that this meeting couldn’t come at a worse time. “I will note that he chose to have a public hearing at 11 am on a Friday, trying to dilute the number of speakers that might come to voice opposition.”
If critics of the bill are unable to mount a significant-enough resistance, the new map could get signed into use by this weekend.
NCC News reached out to several Onondaga County Republicans for this story and received no comment.
