Adams County adopts ordinance to redraw one council precinct to meet 2020-census population rules

The Adams County Commissioners voted to adopt Ordinance 2025-7 on redrawing one county council precinct so the county meets population-deviation rules tied to the 2020 census.

County Clerk Shelley, speaking to the commission, said the county fell out of compliance after the 2020 census and that the change is intended to bring precinct populations within allowable deviation: “I was at a clerk's meeting conference this past March, and I was unaware of the fact that we were not population deviation compliant from the 2020 census…we are 23% and we need to be 10% compliant for all our precincts to be equally in our districts.”

Shelley told commissioners she worked with an outside clerk from Knox County and Adams County GIS staff to redistribute precinct boundaries and reduce deviation to about 2%. “So with this moving, Decatur 4 Precinct to District 1 makes everything aligned, and we would be good to go,” she said.

The ordinance affects only county council representation; it moves Decatur 4 out of District 2 and into District 1. The commission voted to adopt Ordinance 2025-7 and signed three copies for the clerk, the county, and county records.

County officials said the change is administrative, not a change to registered voters or their polling locations; instead it adjusts which council district represents the precinct for future council elections. Shelley and GIS staff confirmed the adjustment was done using 2020 census figures and the commission’s legal review.

The commission directed the clerk to file the adopted ordinance and distribute copies to the county clerk’s office and county records as required.