WASHINGTON CO. PROCEEDS WITH REDISTRICTING PLAN

  

Washington County Commissioners moved forward with the county’s redistricting plans at a special meeting today (Friday).

Commissioners voted to adopt a redistricting proposal for the county commissioner, justice of the peace and constable precinct lines based on new census data, which is used every ten years to update district and precinct boundaries.

Eric Magee with Allison, Bass & Magee, LLP, said the county’s redistricting was required by law because it had a population deviation of over 10 percent between the largest and smallest precincts.  He said he will proceed with County Clerk Beth Rothermel and Election Administrator Carol Jackson to submit new election precinct boundaries to the Secretary of State by the deadline of December 31^st.

 

The proposal approved by commissioners has two changes from the current precinct lines.  The first change moves a tract close to where FM 2935 meets Little Sandy Creek from Precinct 3, represented by Commissioner Kirk Hanath, to Precinct 1, under Commissioner Don Koester.  The second revision takes land near the meeting point of Highway 290 and Highway 36 South and move it from Precinct 2, covered by Commissioner Candice Bullock, to Precinct 4, under Commissioner Joy Fuchs.

A change that would have moved Blinn College’s Mill Creek Hall from Precinct 1 into Precinct 4 with the rest of the college campus was not included with the final proposal.  This is because the change would have broken up a census block, which includes residents’ census information and is used to set distinguishable boundaries like streets or rivers, and moved over 300 people into Precinct 4.

Magee explained that census blocks cannot be divided because there is no way to identify through census data where people in a particular block live, and therefore no way to properly assign them.  He added that group settings such as Blinn often submit their own census counts, and in Blinn’s case, many of the people counted are not registered locally to vote.

 

The City of Brenham’s wards were taken into consideration during redistricting talks.  According to Jackson, the county’s changes will not affect any city ward lines.

A more detailed map showing new polling places and election precinct boundaries will be reviewed by commissioners at a later date.

Click here to view the precinct map proposal approved by commissioners on Friday.