- WILL THE DISTRICTS BE EQUAL IN SIZE?
- By State Law, Municipal Home Rule Law §10, the districts could not deviate by more that 5% in population (“the difference in population between the most and least populous district shall not exceed five percent of the mean population of all districts” https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/MHR/10). The Town of Manlius had a population of 33,712 at the 2020 Census (https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/manliustownonondagacountynewyork/POP010220), meaning the average size district would have to have 5619 citizens, leaving a possible range of 5338-5900 per district.
- WHO DRAWS THE DISTRICTS? WON’T A WARD SYSTEM LEAD TO A GERRYMANDER?
WHO DRAWS THE DISTRICTS? WON’T A WARD SYSTEM LEAD TO A GERRYMANDER?
- Town Law §85 requires that the Onondaga County Board of Elections to draw the districts. The Board of Elections is made up of one Democratic Commissioner and One Republican Commissioner. No party could gerrymander the districts.
- WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CURRENT AT-LARGE SYSTEM OF TOWN GOVERNMENT AND THE WARD SYSTEM?
- Currently the Town of Manlius has an at-large system to elect the six Town Board Members. Three Town Board Members are elected Town-wide, meaning every voter picks up to three candidates, every other year to serve a four year term. The Town Supervisor would not be affected by a change to the Ward System. In a Ward System, the Town would be divided into six districts and only the residents in a particular district would pick the Town Board Member for that district (see Town Law §81 – https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/TWN/85).
- WHY WOULD I WANT TO VOTE FOR ONLY ONE BOARD MEMBER INSTEAD OF SIX?
- As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Presently, all six Town Board Members reside in the southwestern corner of the Town of Manlius. A Ward System would guarantee that every Town of Manlius Resident would have a representative on the Town Board who lived near them.
Former Town of Manlius Democratic Party Chair Gilda Geiss summed up the benefits of a Ward System:
- “A truer representation of neighborhoods
- Each councilor is more aware of problems in his [or her] own small areas
- All councilors are elected at the same time each year. Now, different seats are up in alternating two-year spans
- Councilors are more accessible and accountable to constituents” – Syracuse Herald Journal, October 19, 1988, p. B3E
- As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Presently, all six Town Board Members reside in the southwestern corner of the Town of Manlius. A Ward System would guarantee that every Town of Manlius Resident would have a representative on the Town Board who lived near them.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CURRENT AT-LARGE SYSTEM OF TOWN GOVERNMENT AND THE WARD SYSTEM?
- Currently the Town of Manlius has an at-large system to elect the six Town Board Members. Three Town Board Members are elected Town-wide, meaning every voter picks up to three candidates, every other year to serve a four year term. The Town Supervisor would not be affected by a change to the Ward System. In a Ward System, the Town would be divided into six districts and only the residents in a particular district would pick the Town Board Member for that district (see Town Law §81 – https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/TWN/85).
WHO DRAWS THE DISTRICTS? WON’T A WARD SYSTEM LEAD TO A GERRYMANDER?
- Town Law §85 requires that the Onondaga County Board of Elections to draw the districts. The Board of Elections is made up of one Democratic Commissioner and One Republican Commissioner. No party could gerrymander the districts.
WILL THE DISTRICTS BE EQUAL IN SIZE?
- By State Law, Municipal Home Rule Law §10, the districts could not deviate by more that 5% in population (“the difference in population between the most and least populous district shall not exceed five percent of the mean population of all districts” https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/MHR/10). The Town of Manlius had a population of 33,712 at the 2020 Census (https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/manliustownonondagacountynewyork/POP010220), meaning the average size district would have to have 5619 citizens, leaving a possible range of 5338-5900 per district.
WHY WOULD I WANT TO VOTE FOR ONLY ONE BOARD MEMBER INSTEAD OF SIX?
- As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Presently, all six Town Board Members reside in the southwestern corner of the Town of Manlius. A Ward System would guarantee that every Town of Manlius Resident would have a representative on the Town Board who lived near them.
Former Town of Manlius Democratic Party Chair Gilda Geiss summed up the benefits of a Ward System:
- “A truer representation of neighborhoods
- Each councilor is more aware of problems in his [or her] own small areas
- All councilors are elected at the same time each year. Now, different seats are up in alternating two-year spans
- Councilors are more accessible and accountable to constituents” – Syracuse Herald Journal, October 19, 1988, p. B3E