City, county redistricting may impact West Side

By Craig Learn and Taylor Steinberg
Bengal News Reporters
 With the 2010 census out, the West Side is in jeopardy of being split-up and not being properly represented. If the district lines for Erie County are changed, the city of Buffalo’s West Side could be divided into three separate districts.

County legislative district boundaries today

 The legislature will not draw its own lines. The County Charter requires a 15-member advisory committee to aid in the process. However, the legislature does not have to follow the committee’s advice and can vote against any proposal. Republican County Executive Chris Collins can also veto any vote passed by the legislature.
 The West Side is represented on the Erie County Legislature by Democrat Maria Whyte. Jeremy Toth, Whyte’s designee to the advisory committee and West Side resident, said Whyte represents about 63,000 people. According to Toth, after the downsizing she will represent approximately 20,000 more people. This will happen with no raise in salary or increase in staff.
 “It’s not easy to see how this will impact the West Side directly since each district will be similarly expanded,” Toth said. “However, I think it’s safe to assume that wealthy suburban districts have less need of their county legislator than do poor urban districts; particularly since so much of what the county does is administered state and federal programs for the poor. So it is quite likely that West Side constituencies will feel this negatively while different groups say Clarence residents won’t even notice.”

Current city district lines

 Toth said it does not stop there for West Side residents.

 “The other issue West Siders need to pay attention to is the new lines of the districts,” he said.
 Toth said republicans control the redistricting process and may cut the West Side up into many different districts. West Side voters would then be divided so that they could not have an impact on any district. This is the greatest threat to the West Side right now.
 For the city of Buffalo, the impact to West Side residents might be small according to Kirk Laubenstein, Legislative Assistant to Niagara District Common Council Member David Rivera, who represents most of the West Side.

 Kirk Laubenstein addresses redistricting and the city:


 Another concern for West Side residents is the election in November. If voters elect Whyte she may not represent them after the lines are officially drawn. Toth said he encourages voters to pay attention to the redistricting process.

Edited by Erica Lindo and Amanda Steffan