Hempstead’s process to create new district maps continued Tuesday during a public hearing where the public spoke out against the proposal. 

“I’m very sorry to say this, but it seems like the Republicans are continuing the practice of cracking and packing,” said Janet Paretsky, of Baldwin Harbor. “Why are you afraid of sharing power? It has to be more transparent.” 

Baldwin, which has one zip code and is an unincorporated area, went from being split into three districts to two under the new proposal, which was released in late December. 

Every 10 years, the town is directed to participate in the redistricting process by town code in order to revise districts to ensure none contain a substantially disproportionate difference in the size of the voter population compared to other districts.

Karen Montalbano, the government liaison for the Baldwin Civic Association questioned why other hamlets were put in one district and not Baldwin.

“We successfully have gotten our hamlet designated as one census designated place for this census and what happened? We were reduced from three to two districts and split in half. I don’t understand why Seaford and Wantagh are kept whole but yet Baldwin is split.”

Montalbano also said the community has over 400 signatures on a petition to keep Baldwin in one district.

As it stands, Hempstead currently has six councilmanic districts, which are each represented by one member of the Town Board. In addition to the six elected officials, the town supervisor also sits on the seven-member board.

Hempstead’s Town Board is currently made up of five Republican council members, Democrat Dorothy Goosby and Republican Supervisor Don Clavin. 

The new maps were drawn by consultants from Schenectady-based Skylin Consulting, a political data firm. 

East Meadow, Franklin Square, North Valley Stream, Baldwin, Uniondale and Woodmere each contain portions of two districts each while West Hempstead contains portions of three districts.

Out of the 35 unincorporated areas, known as “Census Designated Places,” 28 are kept whole. 

Under the proposal, an average of 92% of the cores of each district are preserved. Twenty-one of the 22 incorporated villages remain whole in the new proposal aside from Hempstead Village, which was split to achieve equal populations, according to Skyline. 

Hempstead’s adjusted population is 794,289, according to Skyline. State law requires no more than 5% total population deviation between districts to keep them equal. The proposal ranges from a population deviation of nearly 12% to 1.39%, Skyline said in a report. 

Portions of Floral Park, New Hyde Park and Mineola currently sit in District 2, represented by Council Member Thomas Muscarella. According to the new proposal, they would all remain in District 2.

Someone will need to eventually be appointed to the town board to take up the spot of Council member Anthony D’Esposito, who was sworn into U.S. Congress Tuesday as the state’s representative for the 4th Congressional District. There is no requirement that the appointment take place before or after new district maps are finalized.

“Someone that was not chosen by the residents may have the opportunity to choose their voters,” said one resident. “Let us not forget what redistricting is about, it is about letting residents choose their legislators and not potentially have legislators choose their districts.” 

This redistricting process is the first time in the town’s 378-year history the board chose to use an independent commission, which is comprised of three people who were appointed unanimously. 

Gary Hudes, a former Republican councilman for the 6th District, chairs the commission and sits alongside Albert D’Agostino, a Republican, and Dorothy Brazley, a Democrat.

The white, non-Hispanic or Latino population makes up 52.4% of Hempstead, according to the U.S. Census. However, five of the six councilmanic districts are majority white while 47% of the town are people of color. 

The commission will have another hearing on Monday, Jan. 9, at 7 p.m. at Hempstead Town Hall. From there, The commission will have a work session and recommend a map or maps to the board, which can then hold its own hearings. There is no deadline to ratify new maps.