By Betsy Finklea
A public hearing on the Dillon County redistricting plan was held on Wednesday at the Dillon County Council meeting.
Redistricting is required every ten years after a census.
The criteria for developing redistricting plans are that they “adhere to the court-ordered constitutional requirement of one person, one vote (County Councils must adhere to a state law of population variance under 10 percent); adherence to the 1965 Voting Rights Act as amended and by controlling court decisions; ensure that parts of the districts are contiguous; respect communities of interest; and attempt to maintain constituent consistency.”
Attorney Ken Dubose said the council’s plan adheres to these requirements.
During the hearing, Toni Graves, president of the Dillon County NAACP, said this is important because it affects us for the next ten years. She said it is important in the protected districts that those residents have the opportunity to select the person of their choice without the interference of people from other districts to have the person of their choice and dilute the African-American vote.
Graves told The Herald that the state NAACP will review the plan and make a final decision on the plan around June 11th. She said the NAACP is very involved in the process and wants to continue to participate.
Graves said the voters have called for an elected school board. She would like the school lines to be consistent with these district lines so they can go ahead and have a discussion and get the process for an elected school board moving forward and make sure that the voters’ voices are heard. She would like this to be done simultaneously.
Beaufort McLaughlin of Citizens For A Better Community said they want the council to follow the federal guidelines as they go through the process.
McLaughlin said the Citizens For A Better Community agree with the comments of the NAACP president.
McLaughlin said the map looks okay, and if they go along with the last census, they are going to be okay.
At the end of the public hearing, County Council Chairman Archie Scott said anyone who did not have an opportunity to voice their opinion may submit written comments to the County Administrator.
Later in the meeting, the council approved the second reading of the redistricting plan.