Public hearing on new county legislative maps is this Thursday

(Photo via Cortland County).

A new map and local law that could reduce the number of seats in the Cortland County Legislature will have a public hearing Thursday.

The public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Tompkins Cortland Community College Extension Center, located at 157 Main St. in the city of Cortland. 

County residents will have the opportunity to comment on “Local Law D of 2023,” a local law redistricting the county. This is the next step in the county’s redistricting process, which has been in motion for longer than a year.

The map option chosen by legislators earlier this year features 15 legislative districts as opposed to the current 17 seats at the legislative table. It leaves the village of Homer and the town in separate districts, increases the number of districts representing Cortlandville to four, and welds some of the municipalities in the northern part of the county together.

As part of the apportionment process that occurs every 10 years after the U.S. Census figures are released, the county is sought to redraw its legislative boundaries to be able to provide fair representation to residents based on updated population figures.

Census data indicates there has been a 5.1 percent decline in population across the county since 2010. It has spawned questions regarding the number of county legislative seats moving forward. 

For every district, there must be a 5 percent increase or decrease from a proportional number of residents per district. In the county’s case, a 15-seat legislature means the district must stay within 5 percent more or less than approximately 3,121 residents. This number is the total Cortland County population divided by the 15 districts.

The map has an ideal population of 3,121 per district. The variation of 5 percent means districts can be anywhere from 2,965 to 3,277.