McComb officials will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. March 22 to discuss redistricting the city’s five wards.
Bobby Smith, a consultant with Gin Branch Consulting of Gloster, discussed redistricting with officials at Tuesday night’s board meeting.
Smith said the goal is to cap each ward to 2,500 people with no more than 10 percent (125 people) under or over that figure. The city’s population is 12,790.
“The goal is to balance the population, and maintain ‘one man, one vote’ and maximize minority voting strengths,” Smith said. “Some wards are going to have to grow. Some are going to have to shrink ... I’m going to try and change as little as possible.”
Smith noted the process will be lengthy, as he plans to conduct one-on-one meetings with Mayor Whitney Rawlings and all six selectmen to draw up a map before the public hearing.
“I’m going to let each of you determine the direction you’d like to grow in,” Smith said.
He said he will present several configurations at the public hearing, based on discussions with city officials.
The redistricting aims to accomplish several goals, including:
• A fair and effective representation of the city’s groups.
• Keeping communities with established ties of common interest and association, whether historical, racial, economic, ethnic, religious or otherwise, intact.
• Contiguous and compact districts that, if possible, follow natural geographic boundaries.
Board attorney Wayne Dowdy said Smith’s initial redistricting plans indicate nothing “anybody should find offensive.”
Ward 4 Selectmen Melvin Joe Johnson questioned the role several apartment complexes play in his ward’s reconfiguration. Smith said he has access to voting age population data, but he suspects few alterations will be needed because of the number of registered voters in the area.
City officials said they plan to draw new lines by year’s end and receive approval from the Department of Justice by 2013.
In other business, the board:
• Authorized the city to partner with the McComb School District and offer a letter of support to apply for a $950,000 21st Century Grant.
• Recognized Sidney Chester for 10 years with the public works department.
• Approved a request to permit the consumption of beer from the corner of Main Street and South Railroad Boulevard to the corner of Canal Street and Railroad Boulevard for the Ironwood Market Festival and 10-K run on March 31. The event will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Authorized Rawlings to accept a class action settlement involving the city’s AT&T DSL Speed Service. Rawlings said the city received a postcard from AT&T’s speed settlement administrator, noting the company had failed to deliver DSL service at promised speeds. It is not known how much money the city will receive, but Rawlings believes it will be a small amount.
• Authorized a $8,168 payment to Dickerson & Bowen of Brookhaven for the South Locust Street traffic light project.
• Approved a sponsorship agreement with Coca-Cola for the McComb Sports Park.
• Authorized Rawlings to sign a release form for a 1999 Ford Crown Victoria, which the city recently sold to Woody’s Auto Salvage. The business sold it to a customer, who misplaced the title. The customer couldn’t register the vehicle because office records indicate the car still belongs to the city.
• Approved Good Friday, which is April 6, as a holiday for city employees.
• Approved a proclamation to the American Red Cross organization recognizing March as American Red Cross Month in the city.
