Bipartisan Suffolk panel deadlocks over new county redistricting maps

The Suffolk County Reapportionment Commission, after four months and about 25 meetings, is in partisan deadlock over two competing voting map proposals available for comment ahead of public hearings next month.

What had been billed as a bipartisan process to draw the county’s 18 legislature districts has broken down along party lines. The four GOP-appointed members of the commission support a map crafted by David Schaefer of the Schenectady-based Skyline Consulting. The four Democratic-appointed members support one they independently commissioned from Democratic consultant Keith Davies.

The process, part of once-a-decade redistricting based on the latest U.S. census, will ultimately determine how competitive the county’s voting districts will be in the coming years.

A vote Monday to adopt both plans as official drafts for public comment ended in a 4-4 tie. Although not formally adopted, both draft proposals are available on the commission’s website.                                                                          The group ended Monday’s meeting by saying the GOP and Democratic co-chairs, Emily Pines and Jamir Couch, would meet ahead of the Sept. 13 and 15 public hearings and attempt to come to an agreement. The commission has until Sept. 30 to formally adopt a map to submit to the Suffolk County Legislature, which has already extended the original Aug. 1 deadline.

Both Pines and Couch told Newsday on Tuesday they were optimistic they could cooperate and move forward.

“The rest of the commission members said that they wanted us to continue to try to work together,” Pines said. “It is also my hope and expectation that we can do so.”

“At least we'll try and we're in the process of doing that as we agreed to last night,” Couch said.

If the group cannot come to a consensus by the Sept. 30, the decision then falls to the county’s Republican-controlled legislature, although Democratic County Executive Steve Bellone would have veto power over the maps.

If that happens, “we end up like the New York State Commission where nothing really is accomplished,” Couch said during the meeting, referring to that group’s redrawing of New York congressional and state Senate maps. Those maps were approved by the Democratic-controlled State Legislature but were challenged in court and a special master was appointed to redraw them.

In December, Bellone vetoed maps adopted by the then-Democratic-controlled county legislature, stating he did not believe they would hold up against lawsuits. The legislature in April agreed that the eight-member bipartisan commission would then attempt to redraw them.

Couch said during the meeting that Democratic members were not involved in selecting Schaefer, the consultant or the commission’s outside counsel of Sayville-based Messina Perillo Hill and called it a “flawed process.” GOP member Howard Bergson denied that assertion and countered that the Democratic maps were too close to the ones vetoed by Bellone this year.

“The map that you presented is very similar to the map that was presented to the legislature last year,” Bergson told Couch. “For you to say that you have not been represented or have had inadequate support with respect to this is difficult for me to accept.”

Both maps include four majority minority districts as required by an agreement struck between Bellone and the legislature’s Presiding Officer Kevin McAffery (R-Lindenhurst). Three of those four districts are the 9th, 15th and 17th encompassing similar areas on both maps as the current districts.

For the remaining majority minority district, the Democratic proposal includes Central Islip and parts of Hauppauge, Islandia and Ronkonkoma. The Republican proposal includes Bay Shore, Baywood and parts of Brentwood, Deer Park, Dix Hills and Elwood.

Under the Republican proposal, Stony Brook and western Setauket, now in the 5th Legislative District represented by Legis. Kara Hahn (D-East Setauket), would be shifted to the 13th District represented by Legis. Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga).

By Vera Chinese

vera.chinese@newsday.com@VeraChinese

Vera Chinese joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.