President's Message - March/April 2001

Redistricting the County Commission

There is probably nothing more personal to an elected official than his or her district. Even the most simple of changes can lead to unexpected and unwanted consequences during the coming election.

And for that reason it was not surprising when the Association targeted redistricting as a legislative priority during the early 1990s. At that time, county commissioners enjoyed no "home rule" on the subject of redistricting. If new district lines were to be drawn, they would be drawn by the legislature or by a court. County commissioners had little input into their district lines.

Over the years, county commission lines were changed by the legislature for a variety of reasons, including political conflicts between commissioners and their legislators.

District lines were also the subject of lengthy and costly court battles that were often politically divisive within the commission and the community.

But with the release of the 2000 census information, county commissioners throughout the state now have the ability to adjust - or reapportion - the county commission's district lines. And although the process requires a bit of planning and an investment of time, it is not all that complicated.

Alabama law, passed at the request of the Association, now provides that county commissions are "authorized" to adjust their district lines once following the release of each census. The statute does not require such redistricting - although federal law does require the lines to be adjusted if population shifts have caused the districts to be unequal - but leaves the decision in the hands of county government.

Counties that wish to exercise this authority must do so no less than 180 days prior to any election in which the lines will be utilized. Those counties wishing to redraw lines for use in the 2002 primary and general election must complete their work by early December of 2001. There is a requirement for the posting of the proposed new lines for public inspection and for the public to be advised of the date and time at which the new districting plan will be considered for approval.

But the decision now rests with the county commission.

However, before a county can reach the stage of approving new lines, it must evaluate its current lines and begin the research necessary to make the changes in a way that will meet the federal requirements that all districts contain about the same number of residents.

In years gone by, this process would have been costly and would have required technical expertise that would not have been readily available in the average county commission office. But technalogical advances, and the work of our Association, have put this information within arms reach of every county in the state.

The Association has purchased a computer and the necessary software for counties to work on their own districting plans and is making it available in a special county "reapportionment" office there in Montgomery. The program is easy to operate and proposed changes in district lines can be evaluated with the click of a couple of buttons.

As is the case with most things these days, this new computer system has cut the hard edges off what in years gone by was a very time-consuming process.

I can tell you from personal experience that the process is one that can be carried out in just a few hours. Last month I spent one morning in the Association office and was able to produce reports on our current districts in Houston County and to develop some alternative plans for district changes that can now be evaluated by our full commission.

With the click of another button, the software will also produce a report outlining the demographic make-up of each district and will meet the requirements in Alabama law by producing a listing of each census block within each district for inclusion in the redistricting resolution adopted by the commission at the conclusion of its work.

Again, this process would have taken hours and hours when the census numbers were released back in 1991. And for that reason, many county commissions did not exercise the ability to alter their district lines following the 1990 census. Today the process can be conducted in a matter of hours.

During the Association's convention in August we have scheduled a session on this issue so we can explore the process that must be followed by the county commission. This session will also focus on the issue of "pre-clearance" by the U.S. Justice Department. Any plan that is established by the county must also be submitted to the federal government for review and approval.

Certainly the decision of whether or not to adjust district lines is an important one, not only for the individual persons who hold the position of county commissioner today, but also for the voters who deserve and are guaranteed by law equal representation. It is also a decision that can move your county forward and make it more responsive and reflective of the current residents of your county.

And as each county reviews the results of the new census and ponders the question of redistricting, it can do so knowing that the decision is one that is in its own hands.