Rockland County Legislative Districts Will Shift With Population

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — When Rockland's 17 county legislative districts are redrawn, as they must be every 10 years, Ramapo's population growth will have a huge effect.

The County Legislature’s Special Committee for Redistricting meets at 5 p.m. Tuesday to provide an overview of what’s been accomplished to date, as well as a timeline for adopting new legislative district boundaries.

"We are preparing for the next steps of the redistricting process and will outline that path, including a timeline of when proposed new district maps are expected and when a public hearing on those maps will take place,” Rockland County Legislator Michael Grant, a co-chair of the special committee, said in an announcement about the meeting. "We also want to summarize the public forums, including comments and recommendations that were made.”

Redistricting occurs every 10 years following the results of the U.S. Census to reflect changes in population. Each district must contain roughly the same number of people. While it is almost impossible to divide all districts equally, the Rockland County Legislature has set a deviation target of 3 percent or less. This means, based on the 3 percent target, and in accordance with new state law, the population deviation between the most populated district and the least populated district can be no more than 597 people.

Rockland County grew in the past 10 years. Its 2020 census population is 338,329, up from 311,687 in 2010. Most of that growth came in Ramapo and Haverstraw. Ramapo's population grew by 17.6 percent and Haverstraw's by 6.7 percent. Clarkstown grew by 3.2 percent. Orangetown and Stony Point shrank slightly - 1.1 percent and 1.6 percent lower, respectively.

New district boundaries will have to be drawn to reflect those changes. That will affect the composition of each town's delegation and the legislature as a whole.

New maps are expected to be completed in August or September.

Here's the current map:

Here are the current legislators:

• District 1 - Douglas J. Jobson
• District 2 - Michael M. Grant
• District 3 - Jay Hood, Jr
• District 4 - Itamar Yeger
• District 5 - Lon M. Hofstein
• District 6 - Alden H. Wolfe
• District 7 - Philip Soskin
• District 8 - Toney L. Earl
• District 9 - Christopher J. Carey
• District 10 - Harriet D. Cornell
• District 11 - Laurie Santulli
• District 12 - Charles J. Falciglia
• District 13 - Aron B. Wieder
• District 14 - Aney Paul
• District 15 - John W. McGowan
• District 16 - Vincent D. Tyer
• District 17 - James J. Foley

The Tuesday meeting will permit the committee to describe its findings from a recent series of public forums – one each in Orangetown, Haverstraw, Stony Point, and Clarkstown, with the last held on June 30 in Ramapo.

Many aspects can be considered when drawing district boundaries, including keeping communities of interest together, something that can be based on similar social, cultural, ethnic, economic, religious or political interests and priorities.

“Now is the time for the public to comment on what it believes the priorities should be as the new district maps are drawn,” Legislator Alden Wolfe said. “We appreciate and welcome any input because it can be considered as part of the process in creating the new district boundary maps.”

The meeting will be in the Legislature’s Chambers in the Allison-Parris County Office Building, 11 New Hempstead Road, in New City.

Attend the meeting in person or watch via livestream on the Legislature’s YouTube channel. You do not have to subscribe to the channel to view. No in-person public comment will be accepted during the meeting because no public comment will be accepted from remote viewers during the livestream.

Anyone can submit public comment via email: legclerk@co.rockland.ny.us; regular mail, Clerk to the Rockland County Legislature, 11 New Hempstead Road, New City, NY 10956; or drop off at the Legislature’s offices, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays.

The public may submit comments regarding redistricting to the Clerk to the Legislature at legclerk@co.rockland.ny.us.