Lee Commission discusses redistricting plan

LEESBURG – The majority of Tuesdays meeting of the Lee County Board of Commissioners focused on an update presented by County Attorney Jimmy Skipper on the census-based redistricting process, which is mandated by state law every 10 years.

“As you know, every 10 years based on a decennial census, local governments, state governments and Congress are redistricted based on the findings in the census,” Skipper said. “The decennial census has been completed and the state got some numbers last week. We have a map of the changes in Lee County, and some changes have to be made in the county.

Skipper explained that the state Legislature has to adopt the county’s plan. The State Reapportionment office has not gotten all the data downloaded yet, but its goal is to try and get local governments’ reapportionment done as soon as possible.

This generally takes place during a special legislative session in August. However, with the data being tabulated later than usual, this session probably will occur later than normal this year. Skipper also said that with the need for legislative support and approval, the Reapportionment Office hopes to get as much local redistricting approved early in the session as possible, during the special session if possible, before they take on state and congressional redistricting efforts.

“With 159 Counties and over 600 cities, this is obviously a daunting process,” Skipper said. “This requires a legislative sponsor for each of these entities. We generally have two or three plans for the commission to review for presentation to the legislature,” the goal being to have numerically balanced districts.

“We are in a good position because of all our GIS mapping,” Board Chairman Billy Mathis said.

He then called on County Supervisor of Elections Veronica Johnson to explain how this technology will impact the redistricting effort.

“This will be my third census reapportionment with Lee County,” Johnson said. “We do know that there will be some districts that are going to be tweaked. It’s a great chance to clean up some lines. We have growth on the south end of the county with apartment complexes that were built.”

Johnson also said that the city and school board were planning to work together to try and unify mutual district lines.

In other business, the commission made zoning changes allowing multiresidential units to be constructed by Oakland Plantation partners LLC. They also moved to allow 89 acres owned by Rosalyn Jordan Kirk to be rezoned as an agricultural district.

The board also approved the expenditure of $2.4 million from the American Rescue Plan with $1.2 million for expansion of broadband fiber services and $1.2 million for county water and sewer projects.

The offices of the Lee County Board of Commissioners will be closed Sept. 6 in observance of Memorial Day. County offices will re-open for normal business hours on Tuesday. Garbage services will be delayed by one day.

File Photo