Delay not expected to impact local elections
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
STARKE — A small change proposed to voting district boundaries proved too small for most county commissioners.
Because of the delay in receiving census information and commissioners’ desire to take a more comprehensive look, redistricting won’t be completed this year. That means the next available opportunity is 2023 as it must be completed in an odd-numbered year.
Commissioners discussed their reservations at their Dec. 17 meeting.
Supervisor of Elections Amanda Seyfang and her deputy supervisor, Matt Barksdale, had previously suggested a small change in the boundaries of District 1 and District 3 to restore the former’s minority population to more than 50% and preserve the opportunity for racially diverse representation in local government.
East of the Starke city limits, Districts 1 and 3 are divided by State Road 16. The proposed changes would have shifted that line so that, east of the city limits, the district line moves north to Northeast 173 Street, Northeast 12th Avenue and Northeast 171st Street.
It was a small change that would help preserve District 1’s minority population as a majority, but it did nothing to balance the populations of the remaining districts.
In fact, attorney Will Sexton pointed out, it would further decrease the population of District 1 and increase the population of District 3, which are already the smallest and largest districts. District 1 is nearly 1,900 people below the countywide average of 4,189, or 45% smaller. District 3 is nearly 9% larger with 4,525 residents. The other districts miss the mark by 6–8%.
Commissioner Carolyn Spooner said by making the adjustment the county would at least resolve the falling minority population issue in District 1. It would, Commissioner Chris Dougherty said, but doing so would have no impact on any election before 2023. Taking more time would allow them to take a broader look at the maps and get feedback from the school board members, who were not included in the prior discussion.
Commissioner Diane Andrews, who had questions about boundaries in her district, agreed, saying they could do a better job at getting the districts closer in size.
Commissioner Danny Riddick recalled that after the 2010 census, the commission created a committee of citizens who met with the supervisor of elections and developed several options for commissioners and school board members to choose from.
Sexton said between the requirement to close the population gaps between districts and a court order to maintain the high minority population of District 1, they struggle with competing interests.
“So, I appreciate what Ms. Seyfang did. I think they were trying to quickly resolve the top priority,” he said. “There is no magic answer to comply with all the federal requirements. You have to do your best to be as compliant in each case as you can.”
The minority population of District 1 is high, if not the highest, priority, he said.
Starke also delayed
Starke hasn’t redistricted since its district lines were first drawn after the losing the lawsuit filed by the NAACP in the 1980s. This year, the commission decided to take that on, seeking a consultant to analyze the numbers and propose any needed changes while preserving the minority population of Starke’s District 2.
Attorney Clay Martin has asked the city commission to extend the deadline for the advertisement and project deadline by four weeks to because of a disagreement over whether public university employees can continue advising or testifying on matters such as redistricting. Many of the consultants who would offer such assistance are involved in academia, he said. He hoped the additional time would allow the matter to be resolved.
Commissioners hope to wrap up redistricting in the spring. According to Martin, the city is not under the same requirement to redistrict in odd-numbered years.
