The town of Brookhaven is in the process of a redistricting process that will draw new city boundaries based on census data. Not everyone is happy with the proposed map.
Kareem Nugdalla of the Coram Civic Association said maps proposed by town consultants divide black and brown communities into different neighborhoods, thus weakening their voices.
“This is a map by government for government. It doesn’t respect settlement boundaries. It doesn’t respect our interests at all,” Nagdala said.
The Coram Civic Association has submitted its own map, which it says is fairer.
The town has received recommendations from independent commissions and the public on how to map.
Civil rights attorney Fred Brewington, who has filed multiple zoning cases in court, says changes to the borough map should reflect people.
“We need to make sure we do things fairly, not for incumbents, not for politics, not for race,” says Breewington.
News 12 has reached out to representatives of Brookhaven and the Independent Commission, but they said they could not comment on the story.