New York City Council Redistricting Process Kicks Off

*Reposted from Gotham Gazette. Written by Samar Khurshid (photo: William Alatriste/City Council) *

The New York City Council started the process of redrawing the boundaries of the city’s 51 Council districts on Monday with Council members appointing eight members to a redistricting commission. The new districts, reflective of data from the 2020 Census and other factors, will be at play for the 2023 elections when all 51 seats of the City Council will again be on the ballot, as well as the subsequent 2025 and 2029 elections.

Under the city Charter, the new Council districts will be drawn by a commission of 15 members, who are unpaid appointees. The political party with the most Council members – Democrats hold 46 of 51 seats – appoints five members of the commission and the party delegation with the second-most representatives appoints three, in this case Republicans, who hold five Council seats. The other seven members are appointed by the Mayor.

The Republicans’ three appointees are Marc Wurzel, who is general counsel and assistant secretary at Grand Central Partnership, Inc. and who has served on a previous redistricting commission; Kevin Hanratty, a Queens attorney associated with the Republican National Lawyers Association; and Darrin Porcher, a retired NYPD Lieutenant and professor of criminal justice at Pace University.

For the entire article visit: https://www.gothamgazette.com/city/11068-new-york-city-council-redistri…