Legislature will stay at 14 representatives

YATES COUNTY--The Yates County Legislature rejected a resolution Monday, April 11 that would have increased the legislature by an additional member and instead will move forward with the current 14 member body. The county attorney will create a local law changing district boundaries which will be based on plans created by a newly created ad hoc redistricting committee chaired by Jesse Jayne.
"Yates County residents have ready access to their legislators... 14 legislators are more than enough for Yates County," said Legislator Douglas Paddock prior to the vote on 15 legislators. "An additional legislator is not necessary."
Paddock argued that Yates County already has the second-lowest legislator to resident ratio in the state and public participation time at meetings allows residents to voice any issues they may have.
Legislator Richard Willson was in favor of the additional legislator, saying it would increase representation and the cost would be negligible.
"This is not the first time in the history of this legislature that a legislator has been added... I don't consider this a big government thing, like some have put out there because anything that gives more representation to the citizens is a better thing," Willson said.
Arguments were also made that if the legislature were to approve the additional member, it would still have to go to voters in a public referendum during the November election giving Yates' residents the final say.
The discussion at times became contentious when discussing the original Ad Hoc committee's recommendations and the steps forward.
In the end, the resolution calling for an additional legislator was voted down 6-8.
Following the vote, Paddock moved quickly to introduce a resolution that he said would be identical to the previous resolution in all ways except for the additional legislator. The resolution will be 173-22.
The new members of the Ad Hoc Redistricting/Reapportionment Committee are: Jesse Jayne (Chair), Willson, Pat Killen, Mark Morris, and Ed Bronson.
The new district boundaries are required due to population changes determined by the recently completed census.
According to county officials, since the resolution passed did not call for an increase in the number of legislators, the matter will not require a referendum in November.