La Plata County is preparing to potentially redraw commissioner district boundary lines to even out an 11 percent population difference between District 1 on the west side of the county and District 3 on the east side.
But unlike the fiercely partisan decennial redistricting process, the county’s work isn’t nearly as political.
That’s because commissioners are elected at-large, so district lines don’t affect voters. The proposed changes will affect only potential candidates who must live in their district for a year in order to run for office, La Plata County Clerk Tiffany Lee Parker said.
On Tuesday, Parker presented four redistricting options to commissioners. There is no law that requires counties to redraw district boundaries, but Parker said the county has adopted state law, which permits no more than a 5 percent difference between the largest and smallest districts represented by state legislators.
The county is allowed to redraw district boundaries during odd-numbered years.
All of the alternatives to current district lines propose to move the Grandview area, which currently is part of District 3, into District 2. Other options would move the Vallecito Area or an area east of County Road 234 from District 3 to District 1.
Commissioners agreed their preferred option would keep the Vallecito area in District 3 and move the south Grandview area into District 1.
The option will create two new precincts, Parker said.
The clerk’s office will hold public hearings about the proposed redistricting changes May 23 at the Lavenia McCoy Public Library in Bayfield; June 6 at the Ignacio Community Library; and June 11 at the Durango Public Library. Meetings will start at 5:30 p.m.
ecowan@durangoherald.com
