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Citizens Speak Out About JCC Redistricting MapsFriday, April 15, 2011 Some James City County citizens offered their support Tuesday of local redistricting maps that weren’t the selected option presented to the Board, and one Supervisor said he plans to work on his own version. There were four map options submitted to the citizen redistricting committee as of last week. The committee selected Chairman Jeff Ryer’s plan, which removes the two Democratic Supervisors from their districts and also affects three School Board members (view Ryer’s map and the other options on the county’s redistricting page).At their Tuesday evening meeting, the Board of Supervisors heard from a few citizens who supported maps drawn by committee member Debbie Kratter because speakers felt they give more voice to people in minority and low income groups. Supervisors asked a couple of questions of County Attorney Leo Rogers about Kratter’s unusually shaped new District 5 at the meeting. Supervisor John McGlennon said he would “tinker” with the plans a bit before the Board votes on a map in a few weeks. County resident Judy Fuss, who has lived in the area for 35 years, told the Board she supported Kratter’s five-district map because it helped strengthen “voices not heard” in the community. She also asked the Board to switch Districts 1 and 2 to help reduce confusion. This would put the Jamestown District back with Jamestown (if the Board decides to keep the district names). Fuss said she was unhappy about how “partisan and political” the process had been. Craig Metcalf, a member of the community group J4C, told the Board he helped Kratter develop her five- and seven-district maps. As Kratter had argued in committee, Metcalf said he felt Kingsmill and Grove have little in common other than their proximity. The committee majority felt neither map met the criteria set forth by the Board, so the committee would not have chosen to recommend either; Metcalf, though, said he liked the seven-district option best because it would add two more supervisors to represent a growing community as well as better representation to a neglected community of interest. “Take off your [political] party hats and do what is right for citizens,” he asked the Board. Edith Heard, who has been working to collect signatures on a petition on behalf of Grove area residents, talked to the Board about the Grove community. She said Grove had not only African Americans, but also people of Hispanic descent, single parents, and Caucasians. “But, these are people with the same interests,” she argued. Grove is a neglected community, she said, and her petition demonstrates the needs not being met. Kratter had created her oddly shaped District 5 not just for African Americans, but also for people of a similar economic background, with much the same argument. Supervisors didn’t discuss redistricting very long. Board member Bruce Goodson asked Rogers a few questions about whether the unusually shaped district in Kratter’s five-district map would get a legal challenge because it’s not compact. Rogers said there was a difference between known communities of interest versus perceived communities of interest. He said he thought if the Board did offer the Kratter map, it would just have to make sure to explain the logic behind it to the Department of Justice (in Virginia, due to discrimination issues in the past, all redistricting maps have to be approved at the federal level before taking effect). Supervisor John McGlennon pointed out that there are other very oddly shaped districts at the state level, and Rogers agreed. Since the ultimate decision on redistricting rests with the Board, McGlennon said he’ll “tinker” with the plans and see if he could come up with a plan to present. |
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Comments
According to Ryder's map, James Terrace remains in Roberts District and adds a nice mix of neighborhoods, which is the point of this redistricting exercise.
While Kingsmill and the Grove share James River Elementary they have nothing else in common.
The working families, minority and majority need a voice that has less to do with parks, arts and bike paths and more with education and job creation.