York Supes to Start Redistricting Process

By WY Daily Staff Tuesday, March 01, 2011

At their Tuesday evening meeting, York County Supervisors will start looking at redrawing county districts to make the populations of each more equal.

Redistricting happens after each census is complete if voting districts have unequal numbers. Since 2011 is an election year for supervisors, they need to be quick about redrawing the districts. The recent census puts the county population at 65,464, so each district should have roughly 13,093 residents when the process is complete.

There are some rules the county needs to follow during the process. Districts must be compact and contiguous; they cannot purposely dilute the voting strength of minorities and should preserve communities of interest; they must preserve the shape of existing districts as much as possible; and they should avoid placing two or more incumbents in the same election district. Other rules include making sure the districts are convenient for voters and ensure political fairness.

According to a staff memo, District 3 has too high a population, and District 4 is short about 1,000 residents. Other districts are roughly the right population size, but once supervisors start shifting lines around, the population numbers will also shift until they hit on the right balance.

Staff has offered a few ideas on redistricting, all of which presume the board will remain at five supervisors. Suggestions include moving the Marlbank area’s 1,457 residents from District 1 into District 3, which would give the Board the options of shifting Yorktown, the Moore House Road area, and the Coast Guard base into District 3 or leaving them in District 1.

Also, the relatively small area between Goosley Road and the Naval Weapons Station (which includes Riverwalk Townes and The Woods at Yorktown) could be shifted from District 3 into District 1 to bring it closer to the ideal population.

Staff also suggests moving 770 residents from The Landings at Langley from District 5 to District 2. District 2 might also need to be extended past Denbigh Boulevard to the CSX railroad tracks or all the way to Fort Eustis Boulevard.

In District 3, residents might need to be shifted out from the area bounded by Route 17, Burts Road, Oriana Road, the Poquoson River, and Denbigh Boulevard (which includes Glen Laurel, GraftonWoods, and Rainbrook Villas).

District 4 has a few different options, one of which is to shift the Glen Laurel/Grafton Woods/Rainbrook Villas area from District 3 into District 4, and then bring in a few District 5 residents, as well.

Read all the various staff suggestions on the agenda attachment.

The public will have a chance to offer input at three public meetings in the upper, middle and lower county between March 1 and March 15. The Board will review the redistricting plan on March 15 and is set to adopt it on April 15.

Supervisors will meet Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the East Room of York Hall.