Panel could increase county's 16 districts or reduce number to 5
By DEREK MELOT
By DEREK MELOT
February 26, 2011
From the Lansing State Journal
Ingham County's government - and its $74 million general fund budget - is now overseen by 16 county commissioners. In coming weeks, a little-known county board will decide whether voters will keep electing 16 commissioners, or draw maps for as few as five or as many as 21.
And a coalition of good-government groups wants the 2011 process to get far more attention from average citizens.
"We want people more engaged in redistricting. People see it as partisan gamesmanship. If there is more sunshine, such games are less likely," said Christina Kuo of Common Cause Michigan, a good-government advocacy group and part of that coalition.
However, the state law that governs the process injects a sizable dose of partisanship. By law, the five-member commission must include the heads of the two largest political parties in the county - the Republicans and Democrats. And the other three members, a county's clerk, prosecutor and treasurer, all are elected via partisan ballots.
But while it has broad discretion to set the number of commissioners, the so-called Apportionment Commission - which met for the first time Wednesday - has numerous guidelines to follow in drawing actual districts - the most important being to create districts of equal or nearly equal populations.
In 2001, the commission chose to increase the number of county commissioners to 16 from 13. Ten years before, the decision went in the opposite direction, reducing the county board from 20 districts to 13. New district lines take effect in the first election after the census, in this case 2012.
With Ingham's population relatively stagnant, it's possible the county will retain 16 districts, though some close observers of the process, such as Board of Commissioners Chairman Mark Grebner, D-East Lansing, expect a smaller figure.
"It's extremely important that the Apportionment Commission creates districts where candidates and elected officials truly listen to their voters, serve their residents and meet the needs of their constituents," said Thomas Morgan, secretary of the county Democratic Party.
Republican Party Chairwoman Linda Lee Tarver said she wants a fair and transparent process, adding that the panel should keep an open mind on whether to reduce districts.
"One item that will be difficult to explain to the citizens of Ingham County is why we have more county commissioners than road patrol deputies," Tarver said.
After organizing itself with County Clerk Mike Bryanton as chairman, the commission now awaits final population counts from the U.S. Census Bureau. When those figures are in hand, the county panel has 60 days to develop and agree on a district map.
At the very least, the Ingham County review should be less expensive than the 2001 version. Bryanton said the county paid $40,000 to an outside consultant in 2001 to help with drawing maps after the last census.
This time, the commission voted to use the services of the county's own Equalization Department. The commission last week also nixed per-diem payments for the two eligible members - the party heads.
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