Trumbull Voting District Group Plans Legal Action

TRUMBULL, CT —A group of citizens that gathered more than 2,500 signatures for a petition to switch back to seven voting districts is planning legal action after its petition was denied by the Town Council chairman.

The group has retained lawyer Joel Green, said Jack Kingston, a member of the group.

A legal fund is being set-up for donations.

Trumbull town attorneys have said that the power to reapportion voting districts is reserved exclusively for the Town Council, which makes the petition invalid. The group intended to put the matter before town voters in a November referendum.

"Since the authority to reapportion voting districts cannot be delegated, there is no basis to even consider the Petition," said Town Council Chairman Carl Massaro in a statement.

The Town Council voted in 2012 to reduce voting districts, which reduced mandatory minority party representation from seven members to four, according to the Trumbull Times. Some actions such as an override on the first selectman's veto require a 2/3rds vote.

Trumbull Democrats have come out against Massaro's decision and said the current four-district set-up leads to long lines at the polls and unequal voting districts.

Image via Shutterstock