The Blackshear City Council is considering a reapportionment plan that would decrease Blackshear’s number of council districts from six to five.
In a City Council Work Session held September 6, Mayor Keith Brooks explained that, redistricting is required before the next regular election.
Populations in each district must be balanced, with a difference of less than five percent between each.
“The law says after every census, every city has to redistrict if (its) numbers are not within that percentage,” said Blackshear Police Chief Chris Wright.
In a list of 25 area cities provided to The Times, Blackshear and four other cities have six council seats.
Other cities, with populations both lower and higher than Blackshear’s have moved to four or five council seats.
These statistics, and the possibility of a more symmetrical district map were used to argue in favor of the proposed five district system.
Brooks suggested the six district map is gerrymandered and lacks cohesion.
Maps have been drawn up for both proposed districting options with assistance from the regional commission.
A six district version has an average population of 584 per district.
Average district population would increase to 701 in a five district map.
Chief Wright stated at the work session that the proposed maps are the best that could drafted based on numbers.
Any adjustments to the maps must be based on census blocks.
“(The issue is) you’ll have a census block that has 195 on one side and 10 on the other side, (and) that throws off where you can expand those districts to,” said Wright.
A five district shift would have to pass in the city council and be sent to general assembly for local legislative approval
Public hearings will be held if council members favor the five district system.
“Talk to your constituents, see how everybody feels and we’ll move on from there,” said Mayor Brooks to the council members present.
A map with six districts can be approved by ordinance alone since it will not change the composition of Blackshear’s city government.
