The U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down Louisiana’s congressional map does not impact a recent settlement in the town of Mount Pleasant. Town Supervisor Carl Fulgenzi said in an online statement that Mount Pleasant “would have continued to face potential liability” in the case under New York’s Voting Rights Act, regardless of the U.S. Supreme Court decision.
The settlement announced in March led to a new system for electing Mount Pleasant Town Board members. Beginning in fall 2027, the board will gain two members. The villages of Pleasantville and Sleepy Hollow will each get one representative on the board. Four other board members will be elected from the remaining communities within Mount Pleasant.
The change comes following a lawsuit filed in 2024 by five Latino residents of Sleepy Hollow. It was the first lawsuit filed under the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York, which was enacted in 2022.
The lawsuit said the Town Board’s at-large electoral system disenfranchised Sleepy Hollow’s growing Latino population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Latinos make up 50.4% of Sleepy Hollow’s population, and 21.3% of Mount Pleasant’s population.
Under the terms of the settlement, the Town agreed to pay $1.46 million in attorneys’ fees, but did not concede liability in the case.
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