OP/ED: WRD-Redistricting or Gerrymandering?

January 5, 2021

By WRD Director Vera DeWitt

Every 10 years following the U.S. decennial census redistricting occurs to take into account the latest population changes.  Luckily for WRD, the population changes that have occurred throughout our service area were proportional throughout WRD and the districts remain balanced, thus not necessitating any changes.

 However, tomorrow the WRD Board of Directors is holding a public hearing at 6:00 p.m. to dramatically change the individual district configurations – and your district could be among the most altered. WRD never meets at this time and this is another example of limiting public participation.  If the redistricting at WRD is not needed due to population imbalances, there surely must be another good reason.

 The proposed redistricting plan would:

•  Divide and split sixteen (16) communities throughout WRD when currently only (4) communities are split.  Coincidently, the dividing and splitting of communities in the proposed redistricting occurs only in minority communities! No non-minority communities or rich White areas are divided and split. The Old-White men are dividing and intending to conquer right before our eyes without any shame.
•  Director Katherman stated that the proposed redistricting is necessary to preserve former Director Murray’s district as an African American District, however the proposed redistricting makes no significant change in this regard – a minor change of less than 5%.

 This divide and conquer strategy is occurring in the dark of night without any real public participation.  In fact, tomorrow’s meeting was announced with less than the required 24 hour notice.

 The proposed redistricting plan divides and splits these sixteen (16) communities:

This redistricting is about protecting fair representation.  Please take a minute to express your comments by calling WRD or emailing WRD at the following:

 Phone:  562 921.5521     Email:  [email protected]