Political Retribution Claimed as Prov. Redistricting Bill Passes
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
The Providence City Council Tuesday narrowly approved controversial changes to the city’s ward map, but not before making last-minute alterations that one Council member claims came as a direct punishment from President Michael Solomon and Majority Leader Seth Yurdin.
Ward 6 Councilman Michael Correia said he was shocked to learn the final version of the map took much of the Fruit Hill neighborhood near Triggs Memorial Golf Course out of his district and placed it into Solomon’s Ward 5.
Correia, who originally supported the redistricting plan but then had a change of heart earlier this month, suggested the change were clearly an example of political retribution.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“This is just more backroom deals at the last minute that they continue to do,” Correia said. “They took a good section of Mount Pleasant and pushed me into a section [in Ward 12] that has been neglected for years.”
Ward 12 is currently represented by Terry Hassett and Council Finance chairman John Igliozzi said any claim that Hassett has hurt his neighborhood is false.
“Councilman Hassett’s integrity is unquestionable,” Igliozzi said. “And his record for success in his ward and the city is unmatched.”
“This is a Dictatorship”
The Council voted 8-7 in favor of the plan despite objections from several Council members who were angry that the new map gives control over downtown to Council Majority Leader Seth Yurdin. In the process, Ward 11 Councilman Davian Sanchez and Ward 13 Councilman Bryan Principe were moved out of downtown.
The proposal passed despite an attempt from Principe to make a motion to refer the plan back to committee.
“I find this unacceptable,” Principe shouted on the Council floor.
“This is a dictatorship,” Ward 3 Councilman Kevin Jackson, another opponent of the plan, said following the meeting.
Minority Population Grew
The new map gives the city six majority-Hispanic wards (up from four) and ten majority-minority wards (up from nine). Yurdin said the last-minute changes reflect the requests of the more-than 100 residents who turned out Monday to speak out against the proposal.
The city’s population increased by approximately 5,000 people over the course of the last decade to total 178,042, according to the 2010 Census. All three Wards on the East Side lost population according to the latest census data, which is part of the reason a redraw is necessary. Yurdin’s district lost about 500 residents while Wards 2 and 3 combined to lose nearly 1,800 voters.
Council leadership said the plan reflects growth in the minority population throughout the city, noting that between 2000 and 2010, the total Hispanic population increased from 30.0 percent to 38.1 percent and the non-white population increased from 54.3 percent to 63.4 percent. Those in favor of the map have consistently said the changes restore previously divided neighborhoods and create more cohesive wards.
“While Providence’s population growth was not substantial, there was a substantial shift in the city’s demographics,” Igliozzi, who served as vice-chair of the Ward Boundaries Committee, said. “The goal of any redistricting process should be to maximize voter representation. Minority population growth rates are significantly higher when compared to other population changes in the city. The plan accounts for this change by increasing the number of Majority-Hispanic and Majority-Minority wards.”
Correia Rips Leadership
Still, while the vote to approve the maps came as no surprise, the changes to Ward 6 were never discussed previously.
In a message on Facebook, Correia ripped Council leadership for moving Fruit Hill out of his ward.
“Just got informed by Councilman Seth Yurdin and Council President Michael Solomon that Ward Maps have changed again this time screwing me,” Correia wrote. “But you know what comes around goes around. This is what happens when you go against the SO CALLED LEADERSHIP. But let me tell the people of this great city that I will work just as hard in my new Ward lines. More than I can say for them. Let me tell you this city is in the mess it's in because of them they allowed the previous administrations to run away with the city finances.”
A second and final vote will take place Thursday evening.
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