Public Hearing Set On Changing Clarkstown's Wards

CLARKSTOWN, NY — Whether Clarkstown actually needs to draw new ward lines or not, there's a public hearing scheduled for Feb. 7 on a new map that would force two sitting councilmen who oppose the town supervisor's attempt to overturn the term-limits law to compete in this year's election.

Clarkstown voters approved a ward system for the Town Council in 2015, a year in which the Town Council passed a term limits law. The wards were created in 2017. SEE: Clarkstown Board to Start Drawing Wards

Every 10 years, following the latest Census, a governmental entity represented by a ward or district system of voting — from Congress to the state of New York to the town of Clarkstown — must divide its voting population equally (give or take a 5 percent deviation).

In Clarkstown, which has a population of 86,912, each ward should have roughly 21,728 people.

Following the 2020 Census, the town contracted with Skyline Consulting of Schenectady, which mapped out several alternatives.

The town board has scheduled a public hearing on one of them for Feb. 7. It would move Councilmember Frank Borelli, now representing Ward One, into Councilman Patrick Carroll's Ward Four.

Carroll and Borelli happen to be at odds with Hoehmann and town Councilmember Don Franchino over the town's term limits law. Under it, neither Hoehmann and Borelli would be unable to seek re-election in November, but Borelli supports it.

The Council set but canceled a vote on modifying the term limits law in November, The Journal News reported. After that, Hoehmann and Franchino sued the town to overturn the law entirely, saying term limits can only be set by public referendum.

"Whether or not you want term limits - the hypocrisy is astounding," Carroll said on Facebook.

Borelli and Carroll said Hoehmann chose this particular ward redistricting plan to present to the public to punish them for opposing him on term limits. Borelli told The Rockland Business Journal that redistricting hadn't been discussed since last spring so the new map came as a surprise to the board last week.

"The lone ward redraw map offered by Supervisor Hoehmann clearly is an attempt at retaliation and you should recognize what it is - an attack on anyone who disagrees with his agenda," Carroll said on Facebook.

The current wards are within the acceptable range and new districts are not needed from a legal standpoint.

Hoehmann told The Journal News that the map to be considered at the public hearing would correct some "deficiencies with the wards."

The town board meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the auditorium at Town Hall in New City.