Proposal for redistricting set for commission vote

By EDIE GROSS

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 15, 2000

Barring any major opposition, Pinellas County commissioners today are expected to approve a new plan dividing the county into four single-member voting districts and three at-large voting districts.

The commission has consisted of five members who had to live in specific areas but were elected countywide. In November, voters narrowly approved a referendum expanding the commission to seven people. Three will still be elected countywide, and four will be elected in single-member districts.

Before the new commission can be elected, the county must adopt maps setting up the district boundaries. They will attempt to do that at 6:30 p.m. tonight in the fifth-floor assembly room of the County Courthouse, 315 Court St. in Clearwater.

A consultant, Kurt Spitzer of Tallahassee, drew the boundaries the commission will vote on. Here are answers to some basic questions about the plan:

QUESTION: What does the redistricting plan do?

ANSWER: The plan, narrowly approved by voters Nov. 2, expands the County Commission from five members elected countywide to seven members, three elected countywide and four elected from single-member districts.

Residents can see detailed copies of the maps on the county's Web site, http://www.co.pinellas.fl.us/bcc.

Q: Why are the lines on the maps drawn this way?

A: First, state law requires each district to be relatively equal in population. In Spitzer's proposal, the single-member districts each have between 221,000 and 229,000 residents. The at-large districts have between 297,000 and 302,000 residents.

Other factors driving the design: The county's desire for a minority-influenced district (District 7 will be 21 percent African-American); requests by residents of unincorporated North Pinellas that their communities be kept together (District 4 combines Palm Harbor and East Lake); the preference of beach communities to remain together (incorporated beach cities are divided between two single-member districts instead of four); and obvious geographical boundaries such as city limits and major roads.

Spitzer also said he tried to keep Commissioners Calvin Harris and Barbara Sheen Todd in separate districts because both still have two years left in their terms. Under the map's current configuration, Harris would fill at-large seat C and Todd would take at-large seat B until 2002.

Q: If approved today, when would the commission expand?

A: Voters would elect the new County Commission in November. All four single-member district seats are open, as is at-large seat A, the southernmost at-large seat.

Those elected to single-member districts 5 and 7 will serve four-year terms immediately. Winners of seats 4 and 6 will serve two-year terms until 2002, when those seats will switch to four-year terms. The at-large seat available this year will be a four-year term.

Q: Candidates seeking election in November do not have to qualify to run until this summer. Why does the County Commission want to approve the new districts now?

A: Commissioners set a Feb. 29 deadline for themselves, but they hope to have the redistricting maps approved tonight. Although candidates need not qualify to run until June and July, most like to campaign and raise money months ahead of time.

Quite a few would-be candidates have been waiting to see which districts they would end up in before tossing their hats into the political ring. The sooner the maps are approved, the sooner their placards start showing up in medians and front yards.

Q: Is there an opportunity for public input?

A: Spitzer held four public hearings around the county in January to hear what residents did and did not want under the new plan. The hearings were sparsely attended, but Spitzer said he attempted to incorporate the ideas he heard.

Residents are invited to a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. tonight in the fifth-floor assembly room of the County Courthouse, 315 Court St. in Clearwater, for what may be their last opportunity to air any concerns about the plan before it is approved.

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