Officials pick new district map in split vote

In a split vote Tuesday night, Camden County commissioners selected a new voting district map that will keep Harrietts Bluff whole, for now.

The commissioners sought public comments on two versions of the map in recent weeks after receiving two versions of the draft map from the state reapportionment office.

The Camden County Board of Education also is expected to vote on those maps in a called meeting Thursday evening.

Most of those who submitted written comments to the Camden County Board of Commissioners were District 2 residents who favored keeping intact those neighborhoods, due to shared interests like Spaceport Camden and the opportunity to vote next year for a commissioner.

The Camden County Branch of NAACP, Unit 5177, also expressed concern at the previous meeting that the city of Kingsland was split into multiple districts, which served to dilute the voters of the county’s largest city.

“District 2 is going to have to come down [in population size] of the next redistricting hit will be a butchering of what we have now,” warned board chairman Gary Blount.

At the previous meeting two weeks ago, he noted the changes that the 2020 Census had necessitated:

— District 1, currently represented by commissioner Lannie Brant, needed to gain 1,200 people.

— District, 2, represented by Chuck Clark, lost 1,600 people.

— Districts 3 and 4, represented by Trevor Readdick and Blount, respectively, were stable in population over the last decade and required no changes.

— District 5, represented by Ben Casey, added 500 more people.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Blount made a motion to select map version two, which made District 2 smaller and more inclusive of high-density areas. Brant seconded, but failed to get a majority vote.

Clark then motioned to select map version one, which expands District 2 northward into less populated areas. It was seconded by Casey, and Readdick gave the nod to carry the 3-2 vote.

District 2 resident June Maxwell thanked the commissioners during the public comments after the vote for allowing the area to remain in one contiguous district.

Once county and school board officials can agree which version of the map to submit to the Georgia General Assembly, state reps. Steven Sainz (R-180) and John Corbett (R-174) and state Sen. Sheila McNeill (R-3) will carry the bills through the legislative approval process.