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Yonkers Council Adopts Mayor's Redistricting Map, Tempers Boil

YONKERS, N.Y. - The city council passed the redistricting plan proposed by Mayor Mike Spano 4-2 Tuesday after Council President Chuck Lesnick stormed out of the chambers.

The Yonkers City Council adopted Mayor Mike Spano's redistricting plan Tuesday night.

The Yonkers City Council adopted Mayor Mike Spano's redistricting plan Tuesday night.

Photo Credit: File photo

Lesnick, a democrat, called the mayor's "Democratic Comromise Plan" a, "victory for Republicans, not a compromise," in his opening remarks before the vote.

The council had already voted 4-3 in favor of the mayor’s plan last Monday. But, the vote was declared void after Lesnick cited a local law requiring a supermajority, or five votes, for approval. Lawyers determined the law was applicable to the vote. The vote Tuesday didn't require a supermajority.

Redistricting is a process of drawing legislative boundaries by roughly equal population that is required to occur every 10 years.

The now adopted proposal was one of two the council voted on Tuesday. The other was the Democratic Caucus Plan, which was defeated by a 4-3 vote. Before the council went to vote on the mayor's plan Lesnick asked that the word "Democratic" be removed from the title. When he was told that could not be done, he stormed off.

"We can have an argument of whether or not that's compromise, but to have the word 'Democratic' in front; I would make a motion to just change the record," he said of the mayor's redistricting plan. "That's just insulting and outrageous.

"You can put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig," Lesnick said. "Just because a guy used to be a Republican and calls himself a Democrat, and a guy used to support Republicans; it's not a Democratic plan. You can not call this a Democratic plan."

Republicans had taken issue with the Democratic Caucus Plan, calling it an obvious attempt to strengthen Democratic control and minimize Republican representation. Although the GOP council members had proposed their own redistricting map, all three threw their support behind the mayor's plan. Democratic Majority Leader Wilson Terrero joined the GOP in support of the mayor's plan, giving it the edge it needed to pass.

Lesnick argued that the mayor's "Democratic Compromise Plan" would adversely impact democrats for the next 10 years and cuts census blocks, making it prone to legal challenge.

To watch this and previous city meetings, visit the City of Yonkers website.

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