Latino
residents in the Town of Islip and their supporters are celebrating the
settlement of a federal lawsuit aimed at helping them become represented on the
Town Board.
Until
now, Islip used what's known as an “at-large system” – meaning the four board
members could come from any part of the town. Some argued that communities of
color, such as Brentwood, were left without a voice.
The
town has agreed to switch to a new system that will divide Islip into
four distinct districts, each with its own board member. One of those
districts, centered in Brentwood, will be predominantly made up of Latinos.
"We'll no longer be second-class citizens in the Town of Islip," Maria Hernandez said through an interpreter. "We'll finally have a representative from here...in Brentwood."
The
lawyer in this case argued the town's at-large system violated the Voting
Rights Act. The four current board members are all white and come from
communities which are, on average, 92.1% white, according to the census data.
Attorney
Fred Brewington says the settlement will finally give the town's minority
residents a seat at the table.
“The
impact of this case is going to be felt in those communities like Brentwood and
Central Islip, they'll have the opportunity to vote and have their vote not be
diluted,” he told News 12.
In a
statement, Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter says the decision to settle was made
after considering the escalating costs and inherent uncertainty of litigation.
She
wrote, "The Town Board will continue its unwavering commitment to
represent and be accountable to all our residents in the Town of Islip, as the
transition is made to councilmanic districts."
The
revised system will be effective immediately. The first election involving the
newly drawn districts will take place next year.