In a session that was interrupted several times by chanting protesters, the Buffalo Council on Tuesday decided to hold off for another week on what to do about its controversial new district boundaries.
The Council's proposed map, reflecting population changes shown in the 2020 Census, will now go before the Legislation Committee on July 19.
Activists have their own map and want it considered, but Council President Darius Pridgen said that can’t happen. He deferred to Assistant Corporation Council Carin Gordon, who said it’s too late because the Reapportionment Commission has expired.
“At this point, the commission has been de-commissioned. They have completed their job and their task," Gordon said. "Without the established duty for the commission to accept new additional maps or plans, at this point, the most the Common Council can do is accept comments and consideration, but no new maps would be accepted because the vehicle for such has expired.”
The protestors in the audience didn’t like that and finally left the chamber chanting, "Vote them out." That’s a reference to next year’s Council elections in the new districts.
Activist Jolanda Hill said it’s all about political power. She said activists' map will give Black people, who Census data shows make up 35% of the city's population, four districts with strong voting power, while the Council's map will give them only three.
"Clearly, the more districts we have, the more power and control we have over who we elect," she said.
The Council map and the activist’s map, prepared by a local geographer, are very different, right down to the names and locations of some districts.
Pridgen said it’s just the way democracy works.
“I don't count as a horrible day in the chambers, I count it as government," he said. "And anybody who doesn't see that as government, as people being heard, of processes being paused, of looking at the law that we are run by and then, unfortunately, some will agree, some won't agree. But the truth is the truth of the Charter and of the State of New York law.”
Several incumbents probably face Democratic primary election fights in the new districts they will approve by the end of the month and send to Mayor Brown for his action.
