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Friday, October 21, 2022
Vol. 97, No. 42
TOWN CLASHES KAPLAN, MARTINS GOLD COAST FILM FESTIVAL OVER ETHICS BOARD SPAR AT DEBATE PAGE 23
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Mineola, GOP on board sue over redistricting
REBEL YELL
Party-line vote in June reshaped N. Hempstead’s districts for next decade BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y Paul Pereira, the mayor of Mineola, and North Hempstead Republicans David Adhami and Dennis Walsh have filed a federal complaint against the Town of North Hempstead to invalidate the newly confirmed redistricting maps as unconstitutional. “The redistricting engaged in by the Democratic-controlled Town of North Hempstead constituted a complete railroading of the process in the favor of one side that prevented the meaningful participation by Republicans or any other parties,” the suit, filed Oct. 14 in the Eastern District Court of New York, said. The Village of Mineola, Pereira, Adhami, Walsh and resident James McHugh, a New Hyde Park resident appointed to the town’s nonpartisan redistricting commission by Adhami that was critical of the redistricting process, are named as plaintiffs. They are represented by Timothy Hill of Messina Perillo & Hill LLP. In a June party-line vote, the North Hempstead Town Board approved a redistricting proposal that will reshape the town’s six councilmanic districts for the next 10 years during a heated nearly five-hour meeting. The vote came after the four North Hempstead Democrats rejected a re-
quest by Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, who was elected as a Republican, to table the proposal. “Looking at the four maps it’s easy to make a compelling argument that it was an attempt to preserve political power for the next decade through gerrymandering,” DeSena said during the June meeting. The new maps will officially take effect on Jan. 1, 2024. The revised map includes splitting the Village of Mineola into two districts, the creation of an Asian plurality district and switching the numbers of District 4, now represented by Town Councilperson Veronica Lurvey, a Democrat, with District 5, now represented by Town Councilman David Adhami, a Republican. The complaint said the constitutional guarantee of voter equity, the “one person, one vote” concept was violated as a result of redistricting. By swapping Adhami and Lurvey’s districts, Adhami would run for re-election in two years after being elected on 2021 and Lurvey would serve until 2026 after last being elected in 2020, the complaint said. “This has been accomplished by the completely unnecessary decision to switch district numbers to effectively extend the term of office of one repreContinued on Page 38
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GREAT NECK SCHOOL DISTRICT
South High was a recipient of the state’s School of Excellence award.
Zimmerman, Santos clash at league debate BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z Congressional candidates George Santos and Robert Zimmerman do not agree on most issues, but repealing the cap on state and
local taxes is something they both aim to accomplish, if elected, during a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters Port WashingtonManhasset branch on Thursday. The two candidates for the
state’s 3rd Congressional District said repealing the cap, signed into law by former President Donald Trump, is one of the most important methods of putting money back into Continued on Page 39
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