An example of the redistricting map from the 2012-2013 Districting Commission that outlines changes to district map boundaries. The new Commission will prepare the same ahead of the next Council elections in 2023. Image Credit: NYC Districting Commission.
The Commission will help with the redesign of the City Council district boundaries. On March 7, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced his seven appointees to the New York City Districting Commission. The Commission is responsible for redrawing council district boundaries as required every ten years by the City Charter following the national census. The redistricting helps the City Council reflect changes in demographics and population.
Commission members review census data, laws, and regulations, and will hold a series of public hearings and meetings. The Commission then submits a plan to the City Council by the end of the year, which will be ahead of the next City Council elections in 2023.
The commission consists of seven appointees by the Mayor and eight appointees by the City Council. Mayor Adams’ seven appointees are: Hon. Marilyn D. Go; Maria Mateo, Esq.; Joshua Schneps; Lisa Sorin; Monsignor Kevin Sullivan; Dennis M. Walcott; and Kai-Ki Wong.
Hon. Marilyn D. Go began her career as a clerk for Court of Common Pleas Judge William Marutani. From 1978 to 1982, she worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Civil Division of the Eastern District of New York. She joined the firm Baden Kramer Huffman Brodsky & Go, where she became partner in 1984. She served as a federal magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York from 1993 to 2019.
Maria Mateo, Esq. is a solo practitioner in Queens. Previously, she has served as a bilingual attorney for the Presidency of the Dominican Republic; in the Department of Domestic Violence at the Queens District Attorney’s Office; and at Sanctuary for Families and the Immigration Tenant Advocacy Project. She founded her firm in 2011.
Joshua Schneps is the CEO and publisher of Schneps Media, which publishes dozens of local newspapers, magazines, and local websites in New York City, Long Island and Westchester. He earned a Bachelors of Science from Indiana University. He previously was a sales representative with the Forum Courier, a Queens- based newspaper publisher.
Lisa Sorin is the president of the New Bronx Chamber of Commerce. She holds a Bachelors and a Masters in Business Leadership from Concordia College. She was previously head of LAS Consulting Services, Inc. and executive director of the Westchester Square District Management Association.
Monsignor Kevin Sullivan is the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York. He previously was a parish priest at St. Elizabeth’s Church. He served as chair of the 9/11 United Services Group, co-founded the Washington Heights-Inwood Coalition and the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation. He also served as co-chair of the Partnership for the Homeless.
Dennis M. Walcott is the president and CEO of Queens Public Library, a position he has held since 2016. Previously, he was a state-appointed monitor for the East Ramapo School District. He has previously served as Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, and Deputy Mayor for Education and Community Development. He has been an adjunct professor at Fordham University’s graduate program, the Fordham Center for Nonprofit Leaders. He was named an Honorary Distinguished Fellow at the University of the West Indies in 2014.
Kai-Ki Wong has served as assistant chief plan examiner at the Department of Buildings, among other civil service positions. He holds a Bachelors and Masters in Architecture from Ecole Speciale d’Architecture.
Mayor Adams stated, “An independent, impartial redistricting process is critical to a healthy democracy. This impressive array of public servants will serve the city well and truly reflect New York’s growing diversity. I thank them for answering the call to service and working to ‘Get Stuff Done’ for New Yorkers.”
Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that the City Council had not made their appointments yet. The City Council voted to select their appointees on February 7, 2022. The Democratic Conference selected: Maf Misbah Uddin (Queens), Kristen Johnson (Brooklyn), Gregory W. Kirschenbaum (Manhattan), Yovan
Samuel Collado (Bronx) and Michael P. Schnall (Staten Island). The Republican Conference selected: Darrin Porcher (The Bronx), Kevin Hanratty (Queens) and Marc Wurzel (Manhattan). The City Council has not published more information about these appointments.
By: Veronica Rose (Veronica is the CityLaw fellow and a New York Law School graduate, Class of 2018.)