A work session on Columbus’ redistricting plan has been tentatively set for Oct. 21 at the Municipal Complex.
Redrawing the city’s six ward lines was brought on by a judge’s Sept. 19 ruling in favor of the annexation city councilmen approved in 2010.
Bridge and Watson, the firm that assisted the city with its annexation, was retained earlier this week when Columbus councilmen voted in favor of paying the firm $8,000 to re-draw wards to account for the new areas that have been brought into the city limits.
While the new redistricting plan will not have to be sent to the Department of Justice for pre-clearance, the city still has to meet a threshold of less than 10 percent population difference between the most and least populated wards.
The annexation brings four areas of the county into the city. The four areas include most of the east side of Lehmberg Road and a short distance north on Highway 12, the Riverwalk to the west of downtown, a piece of Woodland Heights Drive to the north and the area around Columbus Middle School. The most heavily populated of those four areas is the Lehmberg Road area.
Based on 2010 U.S. Census data, the city’s population is now 25,102, a 1,462-person increase over pre-annexation data. Divided by six, 4,184 would be the ideal population of each ward.
Chris Watson of Bridge and Watson told councilmen Tuesday that maintaining population and demographic balance should be a “fairly simple” process.
“The Voting Rights Act protected minority voting strength,” Watson said. “There’s no reason not to continue to protect minority voting strength. Going through the process, that could be one of the things you want to accomplish is that you protect minority voting strength and protect balance among the districts. We want to try to keep wards geographically pleasing so we don’t have gerrymandered-type wards.”
Watson added that the work session would provide councilmen an opportunity to give him feedback on how to accomplish both objectives. The firm will use GIS software to pinpoint census blocks, re-assign them to wards and see how the shifts would change population and demographics.
“If you look at the proximity of that Lehmberg Road area to the existing wards, it becomes apparent from a geographic standpoint that Wards 2 and 3 have to absorb most of that population,” Watson said. “Ward 2 needs to slide to the east to pick up some territory, and if it slides to the east to pick up some territory, it’s going to have to give up some territory somewhere else. Ward 3 is going to have to slide east a little bit.
“We know where the gains are and where the losses have to occur,” Watson added, “but I’d like for you all to have some input in terms of where we draw, where we make those gains and losses to your ward.”
Nathan Gregory covers city and county government for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
