Democrat appointee was ruled ineligible
A state judge on Tuesday (Jan. 11) upheld the disbanding of Dutchess County’s independent redistricting commission, ruling that an appointment by the Legislature’s Democrats of a school board member violated a ban on elected officials.
Judge Hal Greenwald of Dutchess County Supreme Court ruled that Richard Keller-Coffey was ineligible to serve on the Independent Reapportionment Commission because he is a member of the Webutuck school board.
The law creating the commission, which will redraw county legislative districts based on the 2020 census, prohibited anyone from serving who had, within the previous three years, been an elected official, municipal employee or a member of a political committee.
Greenwald also upheld the Dutchess Legislature’s power to disband the commission and reappoint new members.
