Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - "Please veto this map. It doesn't represent Buffalo, it doesn't represent these communities."
Mayor Byron Brown and the City of Buffalo held a public hearing on Wednesday at the Burchfield Penny Art Center to take in concerns from city residents regarding the reapportionment map that was approved by the Buffalo Common Council more than two weeks ago.
During a public meeting in May, the Commission on Reapportionment drafted a new district map for the City, which is re-drawn every 10 years to better reflect the changes of population around each district in Buffalo. Prior to Tuesday’s vote, the Common Council met on July 12 to discuss the public's input on the proposed map, legal consideration, as well as demographical data relating to the population changes.
Although it was a unanimous vote to approve the new reapportionment map, many from the local public did not approve of the notion from the Common Council. Some say the map doesn’t represent the growing changes of population in Buffalo and is gerrymandering.
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"The irony is that the people who will suffer the most from this unfair and gerrymandered map are the same people who have fewer means to engage with the process," said concerned citizen Amber Powers during the hearing. "It is a privilege to have a flexible schedule and to be able to attend these inconveniently and inappropriately timed public hearings. It is a privilege to have access to the Internet and technology needed to stay informed on these topics. It is a privilege not to rely on public transportation to attend these meetings. It is a privilege to be able-bodied and to have the energy to fight for those who are not. I can no longer remain silent when our city remains so incredibly segregated and inequitable. I am using my privilege as a weapon against injustice. Our elected leaders should be ashamed to pass this map, and judging by how little they have said publicly about it, I suspect that they are."
"When we voiced our concerns and our objection to the map proposed by the Common Council, they ignored us. When we sent emails, they were unresponsive. When we called them, they did not call us back. Finally, when they voted, they stood up, they walked out in silence, shamefully did not say a word to us, the people. Clearly they do not represent us," added resident David Shaffer. "The entire process has been unfair, and the substance of this process is unjust. This map does not deserve your rubber stamp, Mayor Brown. I see a moment for leadership. I'm asking you to please veto this map, do the right thing, and restore a sense of equality and justice to the people of Buffalo."
For the most part, much of the commentary from the public on Wednesday was tame and reasonable with the discussions at hand. However, there were a few people who riled up talks throughout the hearing, whether it was calling out Mayor Brown or other members of the public in attendance.
"My role, my responsibility as Mayor is to listen to the public comments," said Mayor Brown before Wednesday's hearing. "I have two options: I can either sign the reapportionment map that the Council has approved, or I can veto what the Council has done. I cannot change the work of the Council, I can just either approve or veto."
At this point of the process with reapportionment, the map is now in the hands of the Mayor's Office so he can either give the final approval for the new layout, or veto the map, which would then give the determination back to the Common Council.
Up until this point, the Mayor only had appointed two members to the Charter Review Commission of the City Council. That's why Brown wanted to hold this public hearing so he could review everyone's thoughts on the matter and maintain an open mind before making his ultimate decision.
So what happens if Mayor Brown ends up vetoing the reapportionment map after further review?
"If I veto the maps that the Council has approved, then it goes back to the Council for their further review. And once the Council further reviews the maps, it is up to them to, again, make a determination," he explained. "Then, by City Charter, the Mayor is out of the process. I have no further role in it if I veto it once I send it back to the council."
Among those in attendance for Wednesday's public hearing was community and political activist India Walton, who had beaten Mayor Brown in last June's Democratic primary for Mayor of Buffalo.
During her time speaking with the Mayor at the microphone, she makes mention of the "Our City Action Buffalo" map that was created to better preserve neighborhoods in Buffalo and create a more racially equitable city. She knows that right now, her community is suffering, and if this reapportionment map is passed, it will do no good for anyone.
"I know that the 'Our City Maps' create four voting age majority Black districts in the City, as opposed to three in the other. I know that these maps are more fair, more equitable, more contiguous, and take into account the true population of the City, the true demographics, the true ethnicities, the population growth," said Walton.
"After many, many years of going to the Council and having them say that the responsibility lies squarely on the Mayor's shoulders and their hands were tied and they could do nothing, the tables have seemed to turn. You can veto these maps. You can veto this terrible racist map, and by supermajority they can pass it, but it doesn't have to be your fault. This time, you don't have to be the scapegoat, Mr. Brown."
Hear more from Wednesday's public hearing available in the player below: