The second of two town halls on the Yonkers City Council redistricting process was held on Wednesday Jan 25. The Grinton I. Will Library hosted over 100 residents for more than two hours. The speakers, echoing Monday night’s crowd, were all universally opposed to the proposed maps. But, the ground seems to have shifted now and the expectation of updated district maps no longer seems like a pipe dream.
The meeting began similar to how the first one did. But, certainly an improved version. City Council President Lakisha Collins-Bellamy sat beside the consultant, Dr. Andrew Beveridge. Dr. Beveridge was awarded the contract in a last-minute fashion at the rate of $200/hr. Both Collins-Bellamy and Beveridge attempted to explain the redistricting process from it’s most basic level up to its application on Yonkers in 2023. What took 20 minutes at the Riverfront Library on Monday, took twice as long this session. Unfortunately, that extended lesson may have been lost on the crowd who were in attendance simply to let the city know they were unhappy with the maps, period.
When speakers began to file up to the microphone as announced by Deputy Clerk Mike Ramondelli, we heard the expected complaints. But, things also got personal. More than one speaker bemoaned the reality of waking up in a district represented by an unfamiliar council member they never voted for. And that they could possibly not vote out for another two years. On the other hand, more than a handful of speakers directly pleaded to stay in Anthony Merante’s sixth district. Merante is expected to run for Mayor in 2023. And his gerrymandered district in the proposed maps is proving to only solidify his base.
The most raucous remarks certainly came from the now political refugee, Ron Matten. Matten has been cut out of the fifth district which prevents him from challenging Mike Breen in this year’s primary. His remarks, like others, likened this process to the dysfunctional term limits extension that happened in November of 2022. But, the fireworks began when Matten directly attacked not only Breen, but also the Majority Leader Tasha Diaz. Loud applause to these remarks was also met with condemnation from some in the crowd and the plainly irked Council President.
The stream of residents from all across Yonkers continued in similar sentiment but a more subdued tone. The council members were sat in the front row. Not facing the audience which likely provided them some relief. Although, it was probably a tactical move to implicitly remind the crowd that the members were not meant to answer questions or engage. This detachment left most residents who exited the auditorium with a sense that their complaints were heard, but would ultimately be ignored.
However, there were some quiet conversations and overheard whispers by certain council members after the crowd exited that may allow a path for the relief people seek. While not everyone will have their issues resolved, and many are likely to wake up to a new council member in the coming weeks, we do expect changes to be made. What these changes would be and how fast they are completed is unknown. What else is unknown is if the voters will have adequate time to review and comment on these changes before they are adopted. On that, we may just have to see this glass as half-full.
There is a final public hearing in the City Council Chambers on Tuesday Jan 31st at 7pm.
