By Richard Sullins | richard@rantnc.com
As Lee County commissioners began to hear more about the five versions of a redistricting plan that will determine where four of its members will be elected from for the next decade, the discussion at the board’s meeting on September 20 became tense when concerns arose that political affiliation and voter participation may have been considered in drawing the maps.
After Lee County GIS Strategic Services Director Don Kovasckitz reviewed the process the county will have to follow, County Attorney Whitney Parrish outlined the rules the board will have to follow in drawing maps that will be presented to the public at a hearing on October 4.
Five maps were reviewed by commissioners at their meeting on September 20, but Republican Commissioner Bill Carver seemed confused that a sixth map that he had been led to believe would be presented was not among those included in Kovasckitz’s presentation.
Commissioners viewed four possible versions of district boundaries on September 8. Since then, a fifth map has been added that creates district boundaries more closely balanced by the number of residents. The proposed maps, along with the current version, can be found on the county’s website.
“I wish that (Board Chairman Kirk Smith) was here tonight. I was under the impression that we had some options that were significantly different, and I was expecting to see something like that,” Carver said. “In the conversation with the chairman that had to do with some different options for, shall we say, District 2, and how you are actually defining the district. It could be that I was just out of the loop or something and missed the fact that we were going to ask for those, but they are not here tonight.”
Smith, Republican, was absent from the meeting.
Democratic Commissioner Cameron Sharpe asked “Don, can you assure us that these maps were drawn up by using population alone and not on political consideration or affiliation?”
“They were drawn correctly not using any political or voter data,” Kovascitz replied. “But I’ve got to bring it up, that we did have an attorney consult on these plans, and they did ask, ‘did we consider we consider any partisan or election data?’ So, while we were creating these plans, no. But subsequent to creating Plan E, once we had all those plans, we were asked to pull voter registration data. So, subsequent to these plans, I have considered voter data as I considered voter registration data.”
Commissioner Robert Reives, a Democrat, asked “first, let me find out, is that okay?”
“It wasn’t considered in drawing the districts,” Parrish replied. “It’s public record. There’s nothing wrong with just pulling the data and having that available. But when drawing the maps, it was not a consideration, so I think that is sufficient. If it had been used in drawing the maps, I think that would be a different story. When the maps were drawn, it was only looking at the population numbers and there was no consideration of voter registration information and there was no consideration of partisanship data.”
Carver asked “how about the number of people who voted in the area?” and Parrish replied “no, sir.”
Kovasckitz explained that his office is hesitant to look at anything other than total population in drawing maps because existing case law says only population may be considered.
Reives then stated “I didn’t come to this meeting to figure out how to violate the law. I came here to review the appropriate information as it relates to redistricting. I’m not going to waste my time sitting here arguing about trying to figure out how we get around the law.”
Carver responded “that’s not my goal, trying to figure out how to violate the law. My purpose is trying to use the law to have as much flexibility as I can while we are making recommendations on the apportionment.”
“When the lawyers constantly tell you what you can and cannot do, and should not do, and you keep looking for a way around that, I consider that a waste of my good time,” Reives responded.
After further discussion that seemed to move the matter no closer to resolution, Commissioner Andre Knecht moved to present Plans A and E at a public hearing on Monday, October 4, and the motion passed unanimously.
The Rant reported last week, based on emails obtained in a public information request, that Smith had requested the “political breakdown” of each of the district proposals, a move that could have opened the door to a partisan gerrymandering lawsuit. Smith provided an email over the weekend that was not included in the batch released last week showing that he’d since decided his request “is certainly a legal conundrum, and as such I will retract the request to redrawing new districts, based on my previous parameters.”
In other business, the board approved a five-year franchise with FirstHealth of the Carolinas to provide emergency medical transport services within the county for a total amount of $4,227,818 over the period. Approval was also given to lease the county-owned facility at 1218 Central Drive to FirstHealth for 60 days at a rate of $5,186 per month, to be followed by a longer-term lease than will run for the remaining term of the franchise agreement.
Also, the county will receive just under $12 million in American Relief Plan Act (ARPA) funding as part of the Biden Administration’s COVID relief package. Commissioners voted to spend $70,000 of those funds to hire a program administrator and another $20,000 on a consultant to locate matching grants that will support the program’s efforts. The final rules on how funds can be expended are awaiting approval at the federal level.
Mr . Reives , with all due respect …
Your time is no more important then anyone else’s…
You chose to be on a board , was elected, and you owe your time to
the people of this county…
Moving on, 70,000 for a program admin???
And Mr. Knecht, you need to put your cell phone down when a public
meeting is being held ….
The only time you lift you head away from it is to say yay or nay ….
Your owe your county more of your time and attention…..
Mr. Carver has the same responsibility to ask as many questions as he feels needed …As all of you do ….
Let’s work more together, and less of a affiliate party…
Well said
Looks like someone was upset staff did not present the gerrymandered partisan maps he was expecting. I do not blame Reives for his comment. He has a low threshold for bs and there was a lot more on the agenda they needed to get to. Staff, the county manager, and the county attorney repeatedly told Carver that it was against the law to take voter data into consideration when making the maps but he kept badgering them. They even told him this prior to the meeting which he admitted they did and he said he understood but he kept on trying to persuade them. To me that should be what everyone should be upset about. He was trying to figure out how to make the districts partisan. He presents himself as a man of God then tries stuff like this. SMH An elected official represents everyone in the district regardless of political affiliation and whether or not they are even registered to vote. Maps should be drawn by independent bodies/persons and the elected officials should have no input. They need to keep their thumb off the scale.
I totally agree with you but with that being said I basically said the same thing you said which is to keep the partisanship out of it…..
But at least I have the balls to put my name on whatever I write…..
Again the rant should require people to use their real names when they make comments.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion!!!
If they are getting 12 Million in COVID Relief funds, may I suggest they use that money to implement mechanical processes to reduce the spread of viruses in public buildings, starting with the schools. Upgrading HVAC systems in public buildings with UV light air sanitizers will reduce the spread of not only COVID but all viruses like the common cold and flu. They can also place UV Light systems in all the classrooms that neutralizes viruses in each room, and HEPA filters in all Air Intake vents. These are all steps the county can take to reduce the spread of COVID. Until now the onus has been on the citizens while government agencies have done nothing to mitigate the risks of spread except mandates and vaccines. There is steps the county can take to reduce the chances of spread. If you are sitting in a room for 15 minutes with other people it doesn’t matter if you are wearing a mask or not, you are breathing each other’s air. Implementing UV Light and HEPA filters into the HVAC systems will reduce the amount of viruses in the air and also prevent viruses in one room from spreading throughout the building.