Proposed Changes To City Voting Districts

The Thomaston City Council held a public hearing on the proposed changes to the election districts within the city during their regular meeting Tuesday evening. The council voted to approve the new boundaries as submitted. There will be two additional hearings and votes before the changes are final, the next meeting will be on July 19, 2011.

The release of the 2010 census triggers reapportionment and redistricting for Congressional seats, House and Senate, county commissioner and city council districts. This means that every county and city must carefully review the new census data to determine whether the districts meet constitutional guarantees or must be redrawn.

The districts are legally required to comply with the principal of “one person, one vote.” Districts must be drawn to have as nearly equal population as possible. Doing so ensures that the voting strength of citizens living in one district is not greater than the citizens living in another simply because of the population of the district.

The districts must also protect the voting strength of minority populations and comply with the federal Voting Rights Act.

Shaded areas on the map indicate the proposed changes.

For a larger view, click on the map.

The changes will affect four areas of the city, the first begins at the corner of Center and Main downtown, out West Main Street to Crawley Street, north to the old railroad bed then east to Center Street and back to the corner of Main Street. All of the area will move from district three to district one.

The second is the block bordered by Barnesville Street, Avenue K, 3rd Street and Avenue L. That block will move from district two to district one.

The third is the block bordered by Parkway Drive, U.S. 74 East, Glendale Road and East Gordon Street. The block will move from district four to district one.

The fourth change will involve residents in the area south of Triune Mill Road and west of Walter Street, this area will move from district one to district two.

The proposed changes bring the city into compliance with all federal requirements, the changes balance the population between the districts to within twenty residents.

Of the four districts within the city, district one will retain a minority ratio that is over 70% of the voters, district two has a 50% ratio.

Reverend J. T. McGill (right) and David Price, president of the local SCLC, addressed the council to express their concerns on the proposed changes.

In other business, city attorney Joel Bentley (left) gave the council an update on the $2,000,000 “Town Branch” sewer line replacement project and the council voted to continue using the public defender office for indigent defendants. The contract is for $48,600 and includes $8,600 for what are termed “conflict cases.”

Conflict cases are those involving multiple defendants being tried at the same time for a common offense, the public defenders office may represent only one of the individuals and must obtain outside counsel for all others.