Mayor presents redistricting plan to council

Staff

Published Sunday, September 30, 2001

Staff Writer

Troy Mayor Jimmy Lunsford has presented a redistricting plan and the council members must, now, make their final decision.

Under the law, the mayor has six months to present a plan to the council and Lunsford did that during the council's regular meeting on Sept. 25.

"We had some pretty substantial changes," Lunsford said pointed to the map.

Prior to the Census 2000 figures being released, District 1, which is represented by José Henderson has a population of 2,145. District 2, represented by Charles Meeks has a total population of 3,220. Jason Reeves currently represents 1,995 people in District 3. John Witherington has 4,295 residents in District 4. District 5, which is represented by Wanda Moultry, has a population of 2,278.

Troy City Clerk Alton Starling said the "ideal" population per district was 2,787 while drawing the maps created by the South Central Alabama Development Commission at no charge to the city.

"District 4 had over 4,000 people in it," Starling said of the district represented by Johnny Witherington.

District 1 and 5 had 2,000, meaning there was a need to increase the population in those areas.

"Districts 3 and 2, basically had the numbers we needed," Starling said.

But, making the changes to the districts was not an easy task because there were several considerations to be made. Each council member had to live in that district.

The law states the minority totals can not be diluted. Districts have to be contiguous and as compacted as possible and the census blocks must remain intact.

All districts are based on population and the number of registered voters in that district has no bearing on changes.

"District 1 and 5 we had to expand," Starling said. "We started where the council members are living and moved outward.

"We kept the current districts as intact as we could."

However, Starling realizes some citizens will be upset when they discover they are no lover living in the same district.

"When they look at the map, they will understand why the lines moved like they did," Starling said of the general public.

Under the plan presented by Lunsford, Henderson has a total population of 2,719 ­ 669 whites and 2,050 minorities; Meeks' district has 2,789 residents with 2,424 whites and 356 minorities; Reeves will have 2,848 living in District 3 with 2,246 of those being white and 602 minorities; Witherington will have 2,228 whites and 629 minorities for a total of 2,857; Moultry's district has 2,081 minorities and 639 whites, totaling 2,720.

The deviation, which can not exceed plus or minus10 percent is 4.95 percent.

"So, we're well within our margins," Starling said.

After the council gives its approval, that plan will be presented to the Justice Department for the final nod.

"We want to move on this as rapidly as we can, but we do have some time," Lunsford said.

Since the council was re-elected last year, it does not actually have to submit a plan to the Justice Department for some time.  

 

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