Population shifts over the last 10 years will require LincolnCounty to redraw supervisor district lines to adjust for votingrights provisions, supervisors learned Monday during their regularmeeting.

In discussing population data, board attorney Bob Allen said the”most significant” factor is that the variance among the county’sfive districts is too far out of line to meet “one man, one vote”provisions.

The total variance, the difference between the district with thehighest population and the one with the lowest, is 14.99 percent,Allen said. In reviewing lines, Allen said the U.S. JusticeDepartment generally allows a variance of no more than 10percent.

“We’ve got to get it back within 10 percent,” Allen said.

With a total county population of 33,166, the ideal supervisordistrict size is 6,633. Districts One, Two and Three are under theideal while Districts Four and Five are over the ideal.

The extremes are District One at 6.23 percent, or 6,220 people,below the ideal population and District Five at 8.76 percent, or7,214 people, over the ideal. The total 14.99 percent variance is aresult of comparing the lowest and highest districts.

How lines will be redrawn has not been determined. Supervisorshave scheduled a public hearing for Monday, July 15, at 6 p.m. toinform citizens on redistricting and to seek input.

On Monday, Allen mentioned possible scenarios in whichpopulations could be shifted to meet variance requirements. Heindicated population would not necessarily have to be moveddirectly from District Five to District One, but could be shiftedamong other districts as well.

“You don’t have to take the high and the low,” Allen said,adding that officials did not want to “devastate” district lines toget them all within a 2 or 3 percent variance.

Another factor in redistricting matters involves Sect. 5 of theVoting Rights Acts, which deals with minority voting strength.

Allen said the percentage of black citizens in District One, thecounty’s predominantly black district, had increased over the last10 years from 65.54 percent to 65.77 percent. The black voting agepopulation in the district rose from 61.52 percent to 62.51 percentover that period.

Therefore, Allen said, there is no necessity to redistrictbecause of Sect. 5 issues. However, redistricting will be neededbecause of the total variance issues.

Following the July 15 public hearing, Allen hoped to be able tostart redistricting as soon as possible. If the county can get aplan, hold a second public hearing in August and submit it to thejustice department, Allen said it would be possible to have theplan pre-cleared by the end of the year.

“I don’t anticipate it being involved as it has been in otherredistricting periods,” Allen said about this year’s redistrictingprocess.

After a new plan is pre-cleared, Allen said the circuit clerk’soffice and election commissioners would conduct an “administrativeredistricting” to re-register voters affected by the plan. Newlines would be used in next year’s elections.

LAND ROLLS ACCEPTED

In other business Monday, supervisors acknowledged receipt ofthe 2002 land rolls submitted by Tax Assessor-Collector NancyJordan. The rolls contain values for property in the county andwill be used later this year during the budget process and incalculating property taxes.

“If there’s anything wrong, you have to give me notice toequalize them,” Jordan told supervisors about the values.

Jordan said the values are much the same as last year, althoughany property additions or deletions would be reflected in the newtotals.

Also, Jordan said new agricultural use values, which are set bythe state and not the local office, would be seen in the new rolls.The values, depending on the type of soil and usage, rose $12 to$32 an acre with the highest class being $343 an acre.

The new rolls are open for public review in the board ofsupervisors room. Property rolls for 2001 are also in the room forcomparison, county officials said.

If there are any objections, supervisors will hear them duringhearings in August. After that, rolls will be adopted and submittedto the state for final approval.

Also Monday, supervisors took no action regarding a personalmedical waste dumping situation in the Brignall community. RonnieDurr, solid waste coordinator, said a resident was on dialysis andthe waste had prompted some complaints from neighbors.

Supervisors cited county liability and other issues in notacting on the request.

“It’s not a question it needs to be cleaned up, but I don’t knowyou get over the liability,” said District 3 Supervisor Nolan EarlWilliamson.

Allen added that it was not only liability but also concernsabout working on private property to address a problem created bythe property owner. Furthermore, dealing with that situation couldjeopardize grant funding the county receives for its solid wasteprogram, officials said.

Durr and District 2 Supervisor Bobby J. Watts, whose areaincludes Brignall, were expected to talk to the homeowner about thesituation and how to properly dispose of the waste.