To the Editor,
After the last three U.S. Census counts in 1990, 2000, and 2010 Albany County Democrats have Gerrymandered county legislative districts to favor City of Albany Democrats. In each case they were sued and the illegal districts had to be rewritten to comply with the Voting Rights Act in the drawing of minority districts. Three times over three decades — let that sink in for a while.
Now, as we approach the 2020 Census, Albany County’s Democrats have passed Local Law O of 2018, to redraw the districts calling it bipartisan reform for an “independent” process when it is nothing of the sort. Republican legislators have been working on this proposed law for three years, but have had their most important issue ignored — equal treatment based on the population we represent.
This time they have disenfranchised the Town of Colonie by making sure that eight of nine appointments are controlled by Albany Democrats even though Republicans make up more than 25 percent of the county Legislature. The city Democrats will be responsible for drawing lines in Colonie where seven of the nine legislators are Republicans.
Colonie is now the center of population and commerce in Albany County, but the plan to redraw county legislature districts after the next census fails to recognize the shift in population and power from within the county from the city to the suburbs. Voters will have an easy fix on Nov. 5, 2019 by voting no on Local Law O.
Sincerely,
Frank Mauriello
Minority Leader, Albany County Legislature
