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Community Corner

Could Crofton Move to District 4?

One of the discussions by the board in charge of redistricting the county council districts is to move Crofton from District 7 to District 4. While a council redistricting group is mulling over the possibility, what do you think?

Crofton could be the target for a change in county council districts, according to preliminary maps showing redistricting discussions. 

The Anne Arundel County Charter Revision Commission is in charge of correcting an imbalance in the county council districts due to population growth over the last 10 years. They’re reviewing the borders between all seven council districts to ensure they’re as even as possible.

After the 2010 U.S. Census, the county’s population increased by 44,691, bringing the total to 534,347. The shift in population affected Districts 1 and 4 the most, with District 1 shrinking and District 4 growing.

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On Monday, the group will make a presentation to the county council to review their discussions thus far. The fruits of their talks are reflected on eight different maps, showing a rebalancing of the council’s seven districts.

The maps were on display at the commission’s Tuesday meeting, but not everyone on the board approved of what they saw. With just a few days before their presentation to the county council, some members questioned whether the more “theoretical” maps should be included at all.

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Several maps showed Crofton being traded between District 7 and District 4. Another showed drastic changes, such as moving District 1 south, between Districts 2 and 4.

Commissioner Jason Rheinstein said he had problems with one of the maps that appeared to be imbalanced, showing a 24 percent discrepancy in population balancing.

“That map is unique in that of all the maps we have in front of us, it does not meet the population balance requirements,” he said.

Rheinstein wondered whether it should be included, saying unlike the others, it wasn’t a serious consideration.

Commissioner Linda Schuett said there were others that weren’t serious proposals either, such as one that gave a mathematical solution to the balancing problems at the cost of crossing neighborhood roads.

“I’m uneasy about submitting a report that the computer generated, which makes it completely balanced, but completely ignores geographical boundaries,” said Schuett.

Chairman Jana Carey said she was uncomfortable with that as well, but noted that neither plan was “anywhere near” being made into a formal proposal for the council’s approval.

She said the details for each map would be included for the council's review, and she considered those details critical to understanding them.

Their final presentation to the county council, which will include their recommendation for redistricting, is due on September 6.

The commission ended the Tuesday meeting with a call for input from the public, noting that residents usually don’t crowd the room for public hearing on the redistricting. Rheinstein said he believed that more would come if they knew.

The commission’s next public hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. July 25 in the county council’s chambers.

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