Linn redistricting plans put board’s Dems in same districts

As it stands, Linn County redistricting will likely place at least two of the county board's current three incumbent Democratic supervisors in the same district.

The county's temporary redistricting commission voted this afternoon to reject two of the eight redistricting proposals prepared by county staff. The commission also requested modifications to one of the remaining options before their next meeting.

Meanwhile, commission members will review the remaining six proposed maps. When they meet July 21, they'll compare their top three selections to see if a few leading options emerge.

That meeting will be 3 p.m. in the supervisors' board room at Linn County West in the Lindale Mall.

The commissioners agreed to axe Options 1A and 1B, and seek adjustments to Plan 2,which most resembles the current map. Option 1A had more compact districts, but left part of southeast Cedar Rapids in otherwise-rural District 5, which covers much of the county's western townships. Option 1B placed all of Cedar Rapids in two districts.

Eric Loecher, election systems administrator in the county auditor's office, said Option 2 probably wouldn't gain approval from the secretary of state as proposed.

“You really have a bow tie (shaped district) inside Cedar Rapids around the downtown area,” Loecher said. “I don't believe this is compact enough for the secretary of state to approve.”

All of the remaining options would place at least two of the three Cedar Rapids Democrats – Lu Barron, Ben Rogers, and Linda Langston – in the same new district. None of them would place the board's two Republicans, Brent Oleson of Marion and John Harris of Palo, in the same district.

“Your population framework has changed a lot in 10 years,” said Loecher. “There's going to be some give and take.”

Redistricting usually comes up just once a decade, but it's been only three years in Linn County, where voters in July 2007 approved a change from the previous practice of at-large elections.

The redistricting commissioners must figure out how to re-arrange district boundaries to accommodate the 19,525 residents the county gained since 2000, and shifts in population within the county. Each supervisor's district must be within 1 percent of the ideal 42,245, with no more than a 5-percent difference between the most populous and least populous districts.

After the commission decides on a map to recommend, it prepares a report and holds at least one public hearing, at which county residents may present their own alternatives.

• The commission sends its report on the map and the hearing to the county supervisors.

• The county supervisors adopt or reject the plan. If rejected, the supervisors state in writing why.

• If the map is rejected, it goes back to the redistricting commission for amending.

• The supervisors may amend the second plan but must supply in writing why it was necessary to bring the plan closer to conforming with Iowa law.

• The plan is then submitted to the Iowa secretary of state. If the plan does not meet legal standards, it would be rejected. The supervisors would then direct the commission to prepare and adopt an acceptable plan.

• If an acceptable local plan cannot be agreed upon, the state's Legislative Services Agency will draw district maps that will be used for election of supervisors.