The issue of whether to create council districts in the Town of North Hempstead has been around for a long time. It is possible that it may go to the voters in November, depending upon a report of a commission currently studying the issue. At present the four members of the North Hempstead Town Board are elected by the entire voting population of the town--a sort of popularity contest in which the two candidates who receive the most votes town-wide are elected, no matter what area of the town they come from. Were the town to change to councilmanic districts, each councilman would represent a geographic area, such as the Port Washington peninsula, the Great Neck peninsula, New Hyde Park and the Willistons and Westbury-Roslyn.

Professor Howard Scarrow of the University at Stony Brook, an expert in political science, has outlined the debate. Professor Scarrow says that traditionally the incumbents favor at-large voting while challengers favor council districts. The reasons are clear. Incumbents have been chosen by the majority of the voters in the town. Although a certain area may vote heavily for a favorite son, if he/she does not draw votes from throughout the town, there is little chance for election. The courts found that the Town of Hempstead's at-large system was unacceptable because it made it impossible for the minority population to make itself heard. The North Hempstead case is more complicated. Aside from the fact that there are 31 incorporated villages in the town, there is not a large minority population. According to the 2000 census, there are 220,000 people in North Hempstead. Of that number, 14,500 are classified as African-American and they do not all live in one area of the town.

The town is not limited to creating four districts so that there would still be a five-member board, including the supervisor. Joseph Galante, North Hempstead Democratic Party Chairman and chairman of the commission, says that the commission is also considering a mixed system. Such a system would consist of two council members who are elected at large, a supervisor and four council members who represent individual districts. "At any given time, you would have four of the seven people on the board directly accountable to you as a citizen--the two at-large council members, the supervisor and your local council member," Mr. Galante says.

John Kiernan, former supervisor of North Hempstead and a member of the commission, now favors the council districts. "There are 192 election districts in the town. Dividing them into six council districts comprised of 31 to 33 election districts makes it easier and less expensive for people to run for town council," he says.

Those who favor the districts largely agree, saying that it would be an easier and less expensive way to run for office, creating a wider diversity of candidates. They also claim that a council member from a specific district would be more responsive to the needs of his/her constituents. Opponents fear it would lead to gerrymandering to keep the majority in power. Achieving consensus would be more difficult because of greater polarization. There is also opposition from those who believe it would be creating yet another layer of government, while others think that the creation of the Nassau County legislature has already given each area a spokesperson.

The commission has held meetings in various districts of North Hempstead. The final meeting will be held in Port Washington at the Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main Street, Port Washington, at 7 p.m. on May 28.

The commission is scheduled to make its report to the town board in June, a deadline that has twice been postponed. Should the commission recommend the change, the board will have until September to make a decision. A town board decision in favor of the change would require the proposal to be presented as a referendum on the November 2002 ballot. If the town board defeats the proposal, registered voters can petition to put the change on the ballot.

For further information call (516) 869-7700.

Victoria Caruso contributed to this story.