The first round of a redistricting process for Columbus was completed Tuesday, as the City Council voted 4-2 to accept a new redistricting map submitted by Chris Watson of Bridge and Watson. The council will hold a public hearing on the proposed map at a later date. The map will then be sent to the U.S. Department for Justice for final approval.

Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens and Ward 5 Councilman Kabir Karriem voted against accepting the map, which Watson proposed during a work session last week.

Under Watson’s proposal, wards 1 and 2 would remain unchanged. Ward 3 would be reduced by 350 people and a block on Hemlock Street to Ward 4. Ward 5 would absorb everything south of Waverly Road and one block of Sixth Street North to 11th Street North.

The plan is based on a 20 percent variance between the city’s most populated ward – Ward 6 – and its least populated, Ward 4. The new map would cut the variance to 9.5 percent.

Mickens had requested a reduction of 118 people from Ward 2, mostly from around the downtown area. But Watson said Mickens’ request would add too many white voters to Ward 5.

Karriem this morning said he felt Watson’s plan needed some adjustments.

“I didn’t feel that the plan was equitable,” Karriem said. “There were some increases in some wards and some wards weren’t touched. We don’t need racial stacking in our wards. You have some wards that have majorities of 80-90 percent. You have Ward 1 that has 90 percent African-Americans, but there was no change to Ward 2. I don’t think (Chris Watson’s) plan did us justice. I think we needed to go back to the drawing board. I also don’t think it’s fair to say I don’t want more white voters in my ward. Those words never came out of my mouth.”

Karriem’s statement appeared to be in response to a local television newscast, which claimed Karriem’s opposition to the plan was based on an increase of white voters in his ward.

Jeff Clark was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.