Council Hosts Hearing on Altering Voting Precincts

By Amber Lester Kennedy Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Williamsburg City Council will host public hearings on the relocation of voting precinct lines, the operating budget for 2012 and the proposed water rate at its Thursday meeting.

Council’s packed agenda also includes a budget presentation from Williamsburg-James City County Schools Superintendent Steven Constantino and a Peninsula Health District update from District Director Dr. David Trump. The meeting starts at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Council Chambers of the Stryker Building.

The Williamsburg Electoral Board has asked Council to consider two amendments to the city code. The first would relocate the boundary lines for both the Berkeley and the Stryker voting precincts. With 6,324 registered voters, the Stryker precinct is well above the state code’s required limit of 5,000 registered voters per precinct. By contrast, the Berkeley district falls well below that limit, with just 2,898 registered voters. To correct the imbalance, the Electoral Board is recommending shifting the boundary lines. All elections are city-wide, so the biggest effect on residents will be a change in polling place.

If the proposed boundaries are approved, the Berkeley district will have 4,529 voters and the Stryker district will have 4,767 voters. To see the proposed boundary lines, click here.

The second requested amendment would relocate the polling place for the Central Absentee precinct from the Stryker Building to the new Municipal Building, due to the upcoming relocation of the Voter Registrar’s Office. Before either action can be taken, the city must obtain pre-clearance from the Department of Justice under the Voting Rights Act of 1965; obtaining pre-clearance typically takes 90 days, so the ordinance would likely become effective around mid-July. The state code also requires that altering boundary lines cannot take effect until May 16.

Council will also host a public hearing on the city’s proposed $31.9 million budget for fiscal year 2012. The city plans to start setting aside funds for compensation purposes that could be used for merit pay if healthcare costs don’t rise, and the budget adds one full-time equivalent police position. No large cuts are proposed.

Citizens are also invited to share opinions about the proposed water rates for 2012. The proposed rate for users inside the city is $4.30 per 1,000 gallons and for users outside the city, $5.15 per 1,000 gallons.

See the full agenda for Thursday’s meeting here.