Erie County is very diverse. From Grand Island to Gowanda it has factories and farms, cities and countryside. In order for this one complex county to be redistricted from 15 to 11 Legislative districts, we need residents just as diverse to examine the boundaries and redraw the lines.
In November, 83 percent of the voters said “yes” to smaller county government. The next step is the technical process of removing four seats and equally distributing residents into 11 districts. The Erie County Charter mandates that an advisory board recommends a plan to the Legislature, before Legislators formalize a plan into law. Ultimately, the approved plan will go before County Executive Collins for his approval, or disapproval.
I recently announced my six appointments to the Redistricting Commission, a group of volunteers who will be tasked with the challenge of recommending what the new legislative districts will look like. I had the option of sitting on the board as an ex-officio member but decided that a process this important needed as many taxpayer voices on the panel as possible, so I chose the former Chairwoman of the Downsizing Commission, Martha Lamparelli, to serve in my position. Her experience leading the successful fight for downsizing is something this committee and the taxpayers I represent will surely benefit from.
The five other appointments I made were attorneys and small business professionals that know the values of those I represent and fully understand the importance of the assignment before them. Those individuals are, Emilio Colaiacovo, Jorge S. de Rosas, Jonathan S. Hickey, Brian Wittmeyer, and Brian R. Biggie. They are committed community leaders who have chosen to work, live, and raise families in Erie County. They care about its future, and together, they share knowledge of the Legislature, downsizing, the law and our community. I have every confidence that they will do an outstanding job developing a recommendation on reapportionment that fully respects the taxpayers.
More so, I was pleased to see a variety of residents come forward to serve. We have appointments from southern and northern towns, as well as the city of Buffalo. It was important to me that the people I chose to appoint understand the importance of representing rural, urban and suburban districts. This is an extremely well-rounded group that understands this process.
The commission will meet sometime in the next few weeks and will have approximately two months to prepare their plan. In the end each Legislator will represent, on average, 80,000 residents. Currently I represent about 62,000 residents.
Guidelines must be followed which prohibit small towns, such as those I currently represent, from being cut and represented by two or more Legislators. Larger towns, including Amherst and Cheektowaga, and cities, can be divided. These rules and others must be followed when creating the new map.
It has been a true honor serving the residents of the 13th District – currently made up by the towns of Aurora, Colden, Collins, Concord and Orchard Park, and the villages of East Aurora, Gowanda, Orchard Park and Springville. I don’t know how my district will reshape but throughout this process I will remain dedicated to continuing my service to all my constituents.
(Printed March 3, 2011 in the Orchard Park Bee and East Aurora Bee Newspapers)