Public Comment Continues on Commission Districts

At Tuesday's public forum on new commission districts, the two most talked about things weren't even there--a map drawn by attorney Ken Dious and Rep. Doug McKillip and McKillip himself.

The 35 or so people who came to 's Mell Auditorium for the hearing---more than double the number --expressed anger, resentment and disbelief at the process and its probable outcome. Many who commented, like Five Points resident Sara Beresford, asked repeatedly if it were possible that the state legislature could ignore the local preference for a new commission map and adopt one that had no public input. 

Yes, it's possible, said consultant Linda Meggers. In her 30 years in state government, she said she has seen such an event "four or five times."

One resident, John Marsh of Holman Avenue, spoke in favor of doing away with the Super Districts that have been in place since unification in 1990. Others said they liked having two commissioners, and the mayor, to turn to with their concerns. The McKillip map "that may come out of nowhere," according to committee chairman Harry Sims, does away with the two Super Districts in favor of 10 commission districts. Sims chairs a 9-member committee appointed by Mayor Denson to handle redistricting for the county government.

To jettison the Super Districts would mean changing the government's charter, "and charter changes are few and far between," said Sims. 

Attorney Regina Quick, a member of the redistricting committee, has said that eliminating the Super Districts is a conversation the community needs to have. On Tuesday, people were talking about the Super Districts, and they wanted to keep them.

The third public forum will be held Wednesday, August 31, at Burney Harris Lyons Middle School on Tallassee Road from 5 to 7 p.m.