County redistricting committee will hear public input at meetings

Published 9:43 am Tuesday, July 5, 2011

The San Juan County Redistricting Committee is seeking public input as it begins work on a plan to redraw the six County Council districts.

The committee encourages residents of each island to attend and participate at the following meetings:

Waldron Island: July 9, 4 p.m. at the Waldron Island Community Center.

San Juan Island: July 11, 4 p.m. in the Legislative Hearing Room, 55 Second Street, Friday Harbor.

Orcas Island: July 29, 4 p.m. at the Eastsound Fire Station, 45 Lavender Lane.

“In San Juan County, public input is especially important this year, as census figures show the County’s Council districts need to be adjusted to equalize the number of people in each district,” said Stan Matthews.

The Redistricting Committee must follow state guidelines including:

·Each district must have nearly equal numbers of people as determined by the 2010 census

·District boundaries should encompass areas that are contiguous and compact.

·Districts may not favor or disfavor political or racial groups

·District boundaries should endeavor to preserve existing communities of related interest.

The redistricting committee is studying options for meeting those guidelines and representing the public’s interest, and examples of those options will be presented at the public meetings.

“Washington is one of the few states that have opted for a fair, non-partisan process in redistricting,” says Lura Powell, chair of the State Redistricting Commission. “Our laws help to ensure that redistricting is just, but the only way for fairness to happen in reality is if people weigh in and give us their thoughts and suggestions.”

The Districting Committee can be contacted by email at: redistricting@sanjuanco.com.

More information is available on the County Elections website.