Pictured at left is the proposed map for 19 county legislators. Pictured at right is the proposed map for 17 county legislators.

Residents will be given an opportunity to say whether they want to have 17 or 19 lawmakers for the Chautauqua County Legislature.

The legislature’s Administrative Services Committee has passed a resolution to schedule a public hearing for July 27 at 6:40 p.m. on the proposed reapportionment plans for the legislature.

Due to the U.S. Census, every 10 years the county must redraw its legislative districts. The Reapportionment Commission proposed two maps — one with 17 legislators and the other with 19 legislators. The commission was made up equally of registered Republicans and Democrats. The Democrats on the commission submitted a 17 member plan while the Republicans’ plan keeps the legislature at 19 members, which it has been for the past 10 years.

The two maps were sent to the county law department and the county Board of Elections for further review. Links to the maps can be found at www.chqgov.com/legislature/legislature.

Attorney Stephen Abdella noted that after the July public hearing, the legislature can adopt the local law that would formally establish the new districts starting with the next election cycle. The local law is subject to a permissive referendum, which means that residents can circulate petitions and have a measure on the November ballot rejecting what the legislature adopts, which would force the process to start over.

Legislator Susan Parker, D-Fredonia, asked if the legislature could put on the November ballot a referendum that would let residents choose either a 17 member or 19 member plan, which Abdella said can be done if the legislature so chooses. In that instance, the legislature would not adopt either plan but instead leave it to residents to have the final say.

The last time there was a Reapportionment Commission, there were 25 legislators and there were two plans — one to keep 25 members and the other one to lower it to 19 members. “When we had two local laws 10 years ago, the first local law that was proposed did not pass and then the second local law did pass and that was the one that was subject to a permissive referendum,” Abdella said.

The committee’s resolution to schedule the public hearing still must be approved by the full legislature later this month.