Trying to redraw districts is not an easy task
Do you know who your county supervisor is? That could change for some individuals by the next election.
That’s because Plumas County, just as with jurisdictions across the state, is redrawing its supervisorial district boundaries following the 2020 Census.
Thus far the county has held three public meetings, the latest being this past Tuesday, Nov. 2. During the meeting the Plumas County Board of Supervisors and members of the public viewed four draft maps that altered the boundaries from minimally to substantially.
The goal is for the districts to be as equal in population, while remaining contiguous and maintaining communities of interest.
The county contracted with an outside firm to help navigate the process. McCay Larabee of FLO Analytics has been working closely with Deputy County Counsel Sara James, County Administrator Gabriel Hydrick and Clerk/Recorder Marcie DeMartile to coalesce information and draft options.
The public’s input has been solicited as well and one of the options presented for consideration came from a member of the public. That draft map, which took Meadow Valley out of District 4 (Quincy) and put it into District 2 (Indian Valley) met with strong objection from District 4 Supervisor Greg Hagwood.
“People in Meadow Valley will collectively lose their minds if they aren’t in District 4,” Hagwood said. Draft Map 4 was put forward by a Chandler Road resident who wants to be in District 4, but is currently in District 2.
The other supervisors likewise weren’t enamored with Draft Map 4 and at the conclusion of the meeting asked the county redistricting team to put together a combination of Draft Maps 1 and 3. Following are the four draft maps that were presented with their key changes from the county’s current supervisorial map.
Draft map 1
Delleker, Cromberg, Spring Garden, and Greenhorn are all in District 5
Iron Horse (near Portola) is in District 1
Draft map 2
Minimal amount of change – least change to the existing lines
Draft map 3
Seeks to preserve communities of interest
District 3 (Almanor Basin) reaches into the canyon to include Belden, Caribou and Tobin (this is the only draft map that impacts District 3)
District 2 reaches north to include Canyon Dam
Map 4
District 2 takes Meadow Valley, Plumas Eureka, Cromberg, and Mohawk Vista
District 5 takes Delleker
Public hearing
The Nov. 2 meeting was a public hearing, but no members of the public commented.
Supervisors weigh in
District 2, with its Indian Valley base, is the least populated of any of the districts, which in years past has forced it to grow amoeba-like throughout the county — reaching down the canyon, into Quincy and along the Highway 70 corridor. (The Dixie Fire does not impact the redistricting proceedings since the population used for parity is based on the 2020 Census not on the current residents.)
District 2 Supervisor Kevin Goss said, “Map 1 makes most sense to me.” He said that for the foreseeable future, representing District 2 is “going to be centric to the fire.” Map 1 would take some of the Highway 70 corridor out of his district.
District 5 Supervisor Jeff Engel said that it “Doesn’t sound like anyone likes Map 4. I see Gabriel’s (Hydricks’) point about Map 3. Hydrick said based on “what we know now and where we’re going to be facing in the next 10 years … it kind of keeps the demographics in similar areas.”
District 3 Supervisor Sherrie Thrall said, “I’m probably the least impacted by any map. I was really hoping we could we make District 2 more manageable.” She pointed out that though the Highway 70 corridor is close to District 2 as the “crow flies” it is a long distance away via the road system and demographically.
“People that I know who live in Cromberg feel like they are cut off,” she said.
Supervisor Hagwood agreed. “When you look at Cromberg, Sloat, Greenhorn, it would be nice to see some of that go to District 5. It has long been a source of contention that they are in a district that is so geographically isolated from the bulk of District 2.” He also cited demographics, history and more as being reasons for the area not being in District 2.
The next meeting on the topic, when the latest map will be revealed, is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 23. at 1 p.m.
For more detailed information and to even try your own hand at drawing district maps, go to https://plumascounty.us/2781/Redistricting-2021
The supervisors have asked the redistricting committee to meld Draft Maps 1 and 3. It will be presented Nov. 23.
