Community Corner
Ford to Represent Seaford Under Redistricting Plan
Long Beach legislator will lose most of Oceanside and pick up a town miles away.
Tuesday's legislative vote to approve redistricting in Nassau County gives Denise Ford, R-Long Beach, two new areas to represent: Seaford and Jones Beach in Wantagh.
Ford voted against the plan to redistrict that her fellow Nassau Republicans pushed forward by passing an amended map that Democrats argue is gerrymandering. The legislation was approved 10-8 earlier Tuesday.
“I feel that this merited more time and more public hearings,” Ford said about the plan. “I believe we should have gotten more input from the residents and the legislators.”
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The amended redistricting puts most of Seaford and the Jones Beach area of Wantagh into District 4, which Ford oversees. She currently represents the entire barrier island, from Atlantic Beach to Point Lookout, and parts of Oceanside and Island Park. Under the new plan, she would only retain a small section of Oceanside.
Asked about having to represent Seaford and Jones Beach, Ford, who lives in the West End, said: “I would welcome those communities and work for them as hard as I can. But even now, looking at Seaford, it’s going to be a hike for me. I’ll be using a lot of gas.”
Find out what's happening in Long Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Most of Wantagh and North Wantagh would fall into District 15, which is represented by Legis. Dennis Dunne, R-Levittown.
Legis. Dave Denenberg, D-Merrick, currently covers part of Wantagh. Denenberg and other Democratic leaders expressed frustration with yesterday's voting and argue that the legislation is going to end up costing taxpayers.
“The Republican leadership has taken partisan politics too far," Denenberg said. "The Bellmore and Merrick communities will be divided into two districts. Their decision to move the plan forward is illegal and costing taxpayers millions of dollars. As I’ve stated in the past, wasting taxpayers money is never acceptable.”
Republicans had tabled the proposed redistricting plan last week after a New York State Supreme Court judge issued a temporary restraining order on the process, but an appeals court judge stayed the order, allowing the legislature to move forward.
