By Cathy Higgins
BAY MINETTE, Ala. — For the second consecutive week, attendance at Bay Minette’s informational meeting on redistricting was sparse.
Monday night’s meeting fulfilled state regulations requiring municipalities to offer two question-and-answer sessions to its residents after proposing changes to its voting district boundaries once every decade.
As previously reported, those changes are influenced by the results of each U.S. Census. This year, the city of Bay Minette is proposing a mostly northward shift in each of its five districts to obtain an ideal population of 1,644 residents per district.
During Monday’s meeting, Bay Minette City Clerk said input she has received so far includes one resident who would move from District 2 to Disrict 4.
“But somebody’s got to move,” Bay Minette District Attorney Scott Lewis said at the meeting.
As previously reported, residents finding themselves in a different district if the new boundaries are approved would only find themselves with a different district representatives and perhaps a different voting place during elections.
A second question Findley said she received was about the boundary dividing districts 2 and 3, which staggers, resembling an ascending staircase.
“It would have been easier for them to be straight,” she said, explaining that the U.S. Census actually defined those proposed boundaries.
The Bay Minette City Council will consider the proposed changes to city voting districts during its regular meeting at 6 p.m. Monday in City Hall. The vote will be preceded by a public hearing on the matter.
