KINGSTON – Following weeks of contentious meetings and some eight iterations of maps, the reapportionment commission reluctantly, but unanimously adopted a legislative districting plan.

Referred to as the Benkert and Messina alternative, the final map addressed some of the concerns expressed about creating the cohesiveness in the town of Shawangunk that previous versions lacked.

The final version expands the Ellenville district, number 15 on the map, and splits the Shawangunk and Wallkill prison populations across two districts, a move that Legislator Ken Ronk, R-Wallkill, called fair.

"There are a lot of people from both towns who work at the prisons," he said.

The seven-member commission unanimously approved the plan, but the two Republican appointees, Bill West and Michael Catalinotto, expressed reservations about the 10-year plan, saying the commission failed to thoroughly examine a weighted voting plan based on town boundaries.

Catalinotto said the commission was directed by the Charter to maintain town lines and that weighted voting would allow each town to retain its identity. The districting plan "ceases to be 'one man, one vote.'"

"We've accomplished a conglomeration, a homogenization and a cannibalization of towns with the product we are going to submit to the legislature," the Saugerties attorney argued.

West said the vote is bittersweet because he felt it disenfranchised people from their government. He called it "a sad, sad day for our communities" because the commission did not consider weighted voting.

"Towns do matter," he said. "Towns are people; towns are the culture and social center of areas."

In a weighted voting plan, the preferences of some voters carry more weight than the preferences of other voters, a system that Gerald Benjamin, former dean of SUNY New Paltz, who chaired the Ulster County Charter committee, said is "unconstitutional and would provoke legislation."

As outlined in the Charter and voted into law in 2006, the final plan uses 2010 census data to convert 12 multimember districts with 33 legislators, into 23 single-member districts. The new districts each contain approximately 7,900 people.

A handful of legislators argued for changes to their respective districts during Monday night's public comment segment, but, in the end, the commission left the version unchanged.

During public comment, town of Rochester's county planning board member Mike Baden told the board that if they could justify every line they made on the map, then they should vote on the plan and not try to appease everybody.

West concurred, saying that there "wasn't one point raised by the public that we have not looked at one, two or three times."

"There comes a point after you've had unlimited discussion that you have to draw a line in the sand, for better or worse," the commissioner said.

Of Ulster County's twenty towns, six are kept whole in the final plan, including the town of Rochester.

If adopted by the legislature, the redistricting plan will force several primaries among the current legislative body. Republican incumbents Mary Beth Maio and Majority Leader Paul Hansut, both of Highland, could face each other and longtime legislator Frank Felicello of Marlboro in a September primary for District 10.

In Saugerties, 16-year incumbent Robert Aiello will contend with Walter Frey for a seat in District 2 and Republican Catherine Terrizzi of Wallkill could challenge Conservative Jack Hayes of Gardiner for District 16.

In District 15, which encompasses the village and outlying areas of Ellenville, Democrat Joe Stoeckeler could square off against fellow Democrat and village manager, Mary Sheeley. Democrat Mike Madsen could face former legislative chairman David Donaldson for the city of Kingston's District 6. And, in District 23, which includes Woodstock and West Hurley, Democrat Donald Gregorius could challenge Roy Hochberg.

There are currently no incumbents in District 14, which includes most of Wawarsing and part of Shawangunk, in District 1, comprising the northwest section of Saugerties, and in District 22, which is composed of the towns of Olive, Shandaken, Hardenburgh and Denning.

The legislature will hold a public hearing and is expected to vote on the districting plan at the end of the month.