FC begins effort to establish post-Census district lines

On Monday, Feb. 7, the Franklin County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved hosting a series of three community hearings to allow the public ample opportunity to take part in the post-2020 Census redistricting process.

Board attorney Bill Halford said redrawing district lines for county offices is a requirement to address shifting population numbers that is undertaken every 10 years.

“Supervisors are responsible for approving a plan to create equally populated districts using data received from the U.S. Census Bureau,” Halford said. “The population of the area changes and the Census numbers are calculated to make sure each district — for offices such as supervisor, school board, constable and election commissioner — are substantially equal in population.”

Halford noted the redistricting process might seem like a time consuming endeavor, but one that is an important part of representative government.

“The 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution spells out the principle of one person-one vote and looking at the population in each district is a necessary part of establishing beat lines that will guide our elections until after we do this again after the 2030 Census.”
Halford said important tenants of any local redistricting plan are required to include:

• Compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act to ensure minority voters have an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.

• Consideration of factors such as geographic compactness along with contiguous communities sharing common social and economic interests such as neighborhoods, fire districts or business and commercial districts.

“Redistricting matters to residents because they have a voice in determining what local neighborhoods and communities are grouped together into districts,” Halford said.

“Easily identifiable boundaries should be drawn in a way that minimizes division, and should never be drawn to favor or discriminate against a political party or group.”

Halford said the redistricting process is not conducted in a vacuum and a series of public meeting have been scheduled to allow the public to be fully informed about the process.

• At 2 p.m., Monday, Feb. 14, the first session — which will spotlight the law and criteria as they pertain to redistricting and public participation — will be held.

• At 2 p.m., Monday, March 14, the county’s redistricting representatives, which includes demographics experts, will present proposed boundary line maps for public viewing.

• At 2 p.m., Monday, April 4, the public comment period will close and supervisors will be asked to select a new redistricting plan based on 2020 Census data.

All meetings will be held in the main courtroom at the Franklin County Courthouse on Main Street in Meadville.

Public participation is strongly encouraged throughout the county’s redistricting process with written comments being accepted via email through Chancery Clerk Jill Jordan Gilbert at jgilbert@franklincountyms.org.

Additionally, the public is invited to offer its comments during the supervisors’ monthly business meetings held at the courthouse.

“The plan ultimately adopted by the county will be forwarded to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office for consideration and to the Franklin County Election Commission and other interested parties,” Halford said.

In other action, the Franklin County Board of Supervisors on Monday, Feb., 7:

• Heard a presentation by Mike Guice related to the removal of bees from the upper tier of the Franklin County Courthouse.

Guice said he and fellow bee enthusiasts planned to possibly get to the removal starting Saturday, Feb. 12, and informed supervisors the cost could run in the neighborhood of $500 as a lift would need to be rented to access the bees since they are near the building’s roof line. Efforts will also be made to seal where the bees are entering the building to prevent future swarms.

• Paid a claim of $438.10 to Walter Beesley for the collection of outstanding Franklin County Justice Court fines totaling $1,514 during January.

• Accepted the Franklin County School District’s single audit report for the system’s fiscal year ending June 30, 2021.

• Approved a claim of $4,000 payable to Windham and Lacey, PLLC, for financial preparations rendered for the county’s annual audit.

• Authorized the payment of $1,535 to the Southwest Mississippi Partnership economic development organization for county membership.

• Accepted the resignation of Lynn Perry as deputy chancery clerk and county purchasing clerk effective Jan. 31.

• Appointed Franklin County Sheriff’s Department investigator Dwayne Whetstone to serve as the county’s fire investigator.

• Approved the advertising of county resources through signage at the Franklin County High School Softball Field for $100.