Commission Adopts Map, Negotiations With School Will be Held
The Jasper County Commissioners met Friday to again discuss redistricting maps.
Because of the census, the five county commission and school board districts must change. Both entities began working on revisions as soon as census numbers were available in late summer.
After the two groups met together, and could reach no consensus, the school board adopted a map that is quite similar to the previous map. Commissioners wanted a different map.
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From the beginning of negotiations, Commissioner Jack Bernard was adamant that Turtle Cove not be divided. The map adopted by the school board, similar to the current one, divides the lake area through three districts—two which are part of Turtle Cove, sand one which includes the Bear Creek area.
After much discussion Friday, the commissioners voted 3-2 to adopt option 7, which puts all of Turtle Cove in one district, and has District 4 geographically covering more than half the county. Districts 1, 2 and 5 have not changed substantially at a glance at the maps.
The commissioners also considered Option 8, which is similar to the map adopted by the school board, but Commissioners Jack Bernard and Alan Cox expressed the view that since the two groups have to negotiate to get to one map (State Rep. Susan Holmes has said she will not support two maps), that the commissioners should adopt something to negotiate with.
The commission had voted previously to send option 8 to the school board and ask school board members to meet with commissioners and discuss it. The school board declined to meet, saying it wanted to wait until the county adopted a map, and then negotiate. (The first time the two groups met, the commissioners could not agree amongst themselves what they wanted, so trying to also get the school board to agree was impossible.)
Since then many more maps have been drawn. The map the county sent to the school board, option 8, is similar to the one adopted by the school board, commissioners maintain. And, “they slapped us in the face,” said Commissioner Bernard.
From the outset of the meeting, Commissioner Bernard said option 7 is our map, we’re ready to meet and try to merge the two maps.
Commissioner Cox said negotiation is about a give and take. “We should give 50 percent and they should give 50 percent.” If we adopt option 8, we have no negotiating power, said Mr. Cox.
“Statistically option 7 is better,” said Mr. Bernard.
Commission Chairman Charles Hill said he cannot go with option 7. With the school board option, district 2 is 34 percent black; with option 7, it is 30 percent black, and with option 8, it is 35 percent black.
However, during Friday’s meeting, Commissioners Hill and Pennamon, who voted against approving option 7, said little. Mr. Hill did say he had talked with the school board chairman about tweaking the map the school selected to be more amenable to the county.
Persons who have a strong feeling on the re-districting should contact their school board, or commission officials, or they are not opposed to the two maps being different, let Rep. Holmes know.
