Oneida County Voters Decide To Reduce Board Of Legislators
By: Rachel Polansky
Updated: November 7, 2012
For some voters, the decisions didn't end with the candidates. Three
propositions were posed to Utica city residents and one of those - for
all residents in Oneida County.
The issue at stake: should the size of the Oneida County Legislature be reduced from 29 members to 23 members? After months of debate among elected officials and members of the public, voters approved the proposition. The move will save taxpayers about 50 thousand dollars per year. It will also mean each remaining legislator will represent more area and people. The county executive says this is a good move, and he thinks it will bring more involvement from board members.
"There are 29 legislators and we've had budget hearings and meetings the last few weeks and 29 of them have not shown up and that's an injustice to the people of this county because when it says less eyes and ears, there's less eyes and ears right now because there's not 100 percent involvement on this board," says Anthony Picente, Oneida County Executive.
So who will decide which legislators get cut and how the lines of legislator coverage will be re-drawn? Picente says the chairman of the board will direct a committee to look at the reapportionment, based on census numbers and demographics.
The issue at stake: should the size of the Oneida County Legislature be reduced from 29 members to 23 members? After months of debate among elected officials and members of the public, voters approved the proposition. The move will save taxpayers about 50 thousand dollars per year. It will also mean each remaining legislator will represent more area and people. The county executive says this is a good move, and he thinks it will bring more involvement from board members.
"There are 29 legislators and we've had budget hearings and meetings the last few weeks and 29 of them have not shown up and that's an injustice to the people of this county because when it says less eyes and ears, there's less eyes and ears right now because there's not 100 percent involvement on this board," says Anthony Picente, Oneida County Executive.
So who will decide which legislators get cut and how the lines of legislator coverage will be re-drawn? Picente says the chairman of the board will direct a committee to look at the reapportionment, based on census numbers and demographics.
