Redistricting starts with November election

SCHUYLER COUNTY—The Nov. 5 election results start the implementation of Schuyler County Legislature’s redistricting changes, which ultimately lead to the creation of eight new districts by 2016.
This is part of the multi-year redistricting plan approved by the legislature and residents last year.  The redistricting was prompted by the 2010 census population results.  The first changes to the district seats will be decided in this year’s election and implemented starting Jan. 1, 2014.  By 2016, the existing three districts and eight legislators will be shifted into eight separate districts each represented by one legislator.
The current breakdown is:
• District 1 (4,787 residents) covering Tyrone, Orange, and Reading.
• District 2 (6,191 residents) covering Dix and Montour.
• District 3 (7,265 residents) covering of Hector, Catharine and Cayuta.
After redistricting is complete in 2016 the breakdown will be:
• District 1 covering Cayuta, Catharine and eastern Odessa with 2,320 residents.
• District 2 covering southern Hector with 2,293 residents.
• District 3 covering northern Hector with 2,295 residents.
• District 4 covering eastern Montour Falls, northern Montour, western Odessa, and southwestern Hector with 2,301 residents.
• District 5 covering southern Dix, southern Montour, and western Montour Falls with 2,256 residents.
• District 6 covering Watkins Glen and northern Dix with 2,301 residents.
• District 7 covering eastern Tyrone and Reading with 2,242 residents.
• District 8 covering western Tyrone and Orange with 2,235 residents.
Districts 1, 2, 3 and 4 (or the eastern side of the county) will come into existence in January of 2014 with one legislator each who are chosen during the November 2013 election. The remaining legislators not up for reelection in western Schuyler County will be grouped into two districts for 2014 only: District 5 (Dix) and District 6 (Tyrone, Reading, and Orange).  This creates a six district legislature.
Schuyler County Republican Board of Elections Commissioner Joseph Fazzary said one change voters will notice across the county in November is the location of polls.  He explained the new locations were already used in the Republican primary election.  Fazzary said the sites were determined by the redistricting changes.  He said voters were sent cards in the mail listing where the polling locations are now located.
“Some district lines seem inconvenient for some because they live closer to one polling place,” said Fazzary.
Some legislative districts are broken down into additionally smaller voting areas.  Fazzary added some sites will be the polling location for more than one voting district.  He explained workers will be on hand to help direct people to the correct voting booths.  
New Polling Locations
The new polling locations by town (as shown on the polling map and listed at http://www.schuylercounty.us/DocumentCenter/View/852) are:
• Catharine—Catharine town hall, 5182 Park Road, Odessa.
• Cayuta—Cayuta town hall, 6360 State Route 224, Cayuta.
• Dix 1 and 2—Watkins Glen Community Center 155 S. Clute Park Drive, Watkins Glen.
• Dix 3—Beaver Dams firehouse, 1165 County Road 19, Beaver Dams.
• Hector 1—Valois-Logan-Hector firehouse, 5736 State Route 414, Hector.
• Hector 2—Searsburg Grange Hall 6126 Burr Road., Trumansburg.
• Hector 3 and 6—Burdett firehouse, 3830 Willow St. (SR 79), Burdett.
• Hector 4—Mecklenburg firehouse, 4495 County Road 6, Mecklenburg.
• Hector 5—Reynoldsville town hall, 5097 State Route 227, Burdett.
• Montour 1, 2 and 3—Montour Falls firehouse, 111 Lee St., Montour.
• Orange—Monterey town hall, 899 Hornby Road, Beaver Dams.
• Reading 1 and 2—Reading town hall, 3914 County Road 28, Reading.
• Tyrone 1 and 2—Tyrone firehouse, 3600 State Route 226, Tyrone.
Fazzary said anyone with questions can call the board of elections at 535-8195.
Candidates
Candidates for the new District 1 (vying for one seat) in November are: Michael Burns (Democrat/Independent), Barbara Halpin (Republican/Conservative incumbent), and Glenn R. Larison (Independent incumbent).  Due to the redistricting, incumbents Halpin and Larison vied for the same District 1 seat in the primary election.  Halpin won the Republican and Conservative nomination, but Larison also filed independently.
The District 2 candidates (one seat) are: Shirley Barton (Democrat/Independent) and Van A. Harp (Republican/Conservative/Independent).  The District 3 candidates (one seat) are: Michael Lausell (Democrat/Independent) and John R. White (Republican/Conservative/Independent).  The District 4 candidates (one seat) are: Paul Cartwright (Democrat) and James W.D. Howell Jr. (Republican/Conservative/Independent).
The redistricting changes will continue to be implemented through 2016.  In January of 2015 Districts 5 and 6 will seat their new legislators who will be elected in November of 2014. District 5 is the southern portion of the town of Dix and the southern half of the town of Montour. District 6 comprises northern Dix, the village of Watkins Glen, and the portion of Reading that falls within Watkins Glen. The remaining portion of Reading will be joined with Orange and Tyrone to form one district covered by two legislators whose terms extend to January of 2016. This creates a seven district legislature for the year 2015.
The final voting district change will come into effect in January of 2016. District 7, which will cover part of Tyrone and Reading, and District 8, which will be Orange and part of Tyrone, will join the other districts that were established in previous years to form an eight district legislature with eight legislators.