‘Step in the right direction.’ Proposed Madison County district map would cut 3 seats.
A new plan to cut the Madison County Board by three seats was met with praise from many board members Monday night, marking the second attempt to cut the board down this year.
A 26-seat map, filed by Madison County Relations Committee Chairman Chris Guy, was lauded by several committee members during the county’s government relations committee Monday evening. Guy claims the proposed map would save taxpayers “thousands” and is based on 2020 U.S. Census results.
“I think this is a fair proposed map,” Guy said. “Of course, anytime you reduce the board not everyone’s going to be happy because they might not have the same district but if you look at the map every district has changed, some drastically because of population.”
County boards have an opportunity after each decennial U.S. Census to adjust their size based on new population data, according to state law.
Guy said cutting the board by three members will reduce the cost of board member salaries by 10%. County board members are paid $14,500 a year by the county.
See how much county employees made at https://www.bnd.com/publicpay
The Madison County Board currently has the maximum number of board members allowed by law who represent roughly 263,000 people. Currently, 17 Republicans and 11 Democrats sit on the board.
“I think that we’ve developed something that is fair to every board member, each voter and taxpayer in this county and it saves money and reduces the board,” Guy said. “We’ll no longer be one of the largest county boards in the state.”
All board members’ terms will expire next year, meaning an entirely new board will be elected in the newly drawn district lines if and when a new map is approved by the county board.
“We are all up for election so this isn’t our map,” Guy said. “We may live in these districts right now but we have to face the voters in 2022.”
County board members Mick Madison, Eric Foster and Erica Conway-Harris, all Republicans, praised the map. Harris said the previous maps presented to the county divided several communities including her district.
“The last map that we saw really dramatically decreased the amount of communities that would be represented,” Harris said. “I do think that there is good accountability to our neighbors that we’re actually representing our communities (in this map.)”
Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler said he was happy to see another proposal to shrink the county board. Prenzler presented his own map earlier this year that was voted down and heavily criticized by both Republicans and Democrats on the board.
He called Guy’s proposed map a “step in the right direction.”
“I do think it’s progress and at this point, we’re one of four counties with 29 county board members which is the maximum allowed by state law,” Prenzler said.
The county board will consider the new map Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 5 p.m. during the monthly county board meeting.