Maps Submitted by Committee Member Dennis Ward
Below are the links to Maps and charts containing population breakdown spreadsheets as submitted by Dennis Ward, Committee Member, on April 29, 2011. Directly below please find Mr. Ward's explanation for the criteria he used in creating each of these maps.
Process and philosophy:
Plan meets the ten percent (10%) variance rule for the relatively equal population for each district. [one person, one vote and Municipal Home Rule Law Section 10 (1)(a)(13) factor 1
Plan preserves one majority African-America district with over 18 year population exceeding 60%, in compliance with the federal voting rights act.
Plan preserves the integrity of all towns (except Amherst) in compliance with the factor 2 prohibition against dividing towns
Plan preserves the municipal boundaries of the Counties two small cities (Tonawanda and Lackawanna) even though not required by the Municipal Home Rule Law section 10(1)
Plan preserves one entire district as an aggregation of small rural towns that share mutual interest in county issues affecting them