Sparse Turnout to View Proposed Commission Districts

A handful of people turned out Thursday night to voice their opinions about two maps featuring . One map was drawn by consultant Linda Meggers and the other created by a nine-member committee appointed by Mayor Nancy Denson.

Her map is a "status quo" map, Meggers said, which tweaks things a bit based on the 2010 census, but which basically keeps all districts, and their commission members, intact.

The committee's map, drawn by member Regina Quick, reconfigures virtually every district. Instead of being split into two districts, Five Points is completely in District 7. The lines are drawn to represent "communities of interest," members said.

State Republican Representative Doug McKillip questioned Meggers about her map, wondering if she had been instructed to not disturb the current districts or their commissioner. She said she usually tries not to disrupt things because of the election cycle. You can't draw a sitting commissioner out of his or her district.

McKillip has said he plans to submit his own map of the commission So far, the public hasn't seen it and he didn't mention it Thursday night.

Susan Plaksin wondered how the public could continue to participate in the map selection process if more maps are proposed. Local attorney submitted his own 10-district map to Quick on Thursday morning, but it wasn't presented at the evening meeting. Committee chairman Commissioner Harry Sims said if need be, there would be a fourth public hearing in addition to the scheduled three.

Local attorney Ken Kalivoda suggested putting the Southeastern part of the county into one district. He said it is mainly a residential area and it needs its own district.

Willie James said he doesn't like the way that the committee's map "stretches out" District 2, the district whose population has the most African Americans. He likes District 2 as it is. 

Cedar Creek resident April Webb wondered why the districts are altered so radically in the committee's map when doing so doesn't drastically change the percentage of minorities.

"Why wouldn't we go with what changes things the least?" she asked.

The next public hearing on the redistricting maps is Tuesday, August 30, at 7, in 's Mell Auditorium.