Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
Chronicle Staff Writer Zander Frost & Editor Mark Frost write: Lake George Mayor Bob Blais e-mailed local media Tuesday, urging “opposition to the present plans to redistrict the 45th Senate District.” He said a proposed plan involves “removing the Town of Queensbury and the City of Glens Falls from the present district,” which he wrote “makes no common sense at all.”
The Chronicle contacted Senator Dan Stec. He downplayed the immediate concern in a text message reply Tuesday.
“Well,” wrote Senator Stec, “the independent redistricting commission couldn’t produce a single set of maps by September 15, so they put out a couple different drafts. A Republican version and a Democratic version.
“Consensus in Albany is that the final maps are not likely to resemble either of these. Bottom-line is the process is still going on and we have a ways to go.”
The New York State Independent Redistricting Commission is discussing new districts now. There is talk of the State Legislature, controlled by Democrats, overruling the Independent Commission.
Mayor Blais’s alert about the possible redrawn District said, “We are becoming so closely intertwined with services, infrastructure and needs, particularly in the area of tourism. Putting Queensbury and Glens Falls into another Senator’s district will be extremely harmful. Great Escape, the outlets and even the municipal center uses Lake George as their address. We need to remain as one, and the move appears to make no sense except perhaps for some political agenda.”
The public is urged to weigh in to the redistricting process. There’s a public meeting Monday, November 1, at 4 p.m. at the SUNY Albany’s Page Hall.
Copyright © 2021 Lone Oak Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved
