Will select new redistricting committee
Dutchess County said on Jan. 14 that it had received 243 applications to join the seven-member Dutchess County Independent Reapportionment Commission that will redraw legislative districts based on data from the 2020 federal census.
The commission had been formed last year but was disbanded by the Republican majority of the Legislature when a member appointed by Democrats was found to be ineligible. A state judge rejected a challenge last week.
The new candidate pool includes those who applied to serve on the commission in 2021. The Legislature will make initial appointments by Feb. 1, with two members appointed by the majority leader and two by the minority leader. Those four members will then select three members from the pool by Feb. 15. The new districts will go into effect during the 2023 election cycle.
