SNOW HILL– The process of redistricting is underway in Worcester County.
County officials outlined the redistricting process, which adjusts election districts based on population, at a town hall meeting hosted by Worcester County Commissioner Chip Bertino last week. The proposed maps will be the subject of a public hearing on Oct. 17.
“They aren’t finalized,” said Jennifer Keener, the county’s director of development review and permitting. “We want to hear from you.”
Every 10 years, following the U.S. Census the county goes through the redistricting process. The 2020 Census found the county’s population to be 52,607, an increase of 1,059 residents (2%) since the 2010 Census. With the updated figures, Keener’s department s is tasked with creating new maps for the county’s election district, as some districts will have to grow and others will have to shrink to ensure the population in each remains nearly equal.
“It’s the process of basically drafting new commissioner election districts based on changes in population,” Keener said. “Our goal is to make those districts as equal as possible across the board based on population we have.”
She noted that the Ocean Pines’ District 5 grew by 455 residents, which she said meant some residents would have to be moved into District 6. She said District 2 would remain the county’s majority minority district.
She said her department had used redistricting software to come up with five map options for Worcester County. The maps are available to the public on the county’s website, where residents can view the potential new maps next to the existing map. They can also search by address to see if their election district could be changed.
The county is inviting the public to comment on the proposed maps at a public hearing during the Oct. 17 meeting of the commissioners. The public comment window will remain open for four weeks after the public hearing.
For more information, contact [email protected].
