Redistricting advisory committee offers two maps; commissioners hear hours of public comment

The Orange County Mid-Decennial Redistricting Advisory Committee presented two recommended maps to the Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 16 — referred to throughout the process as Map 1a and Map 7b — after more than 19 public meetings and extensive public engagement. Committee co-chair Camille Evans summarized the group’s work and urged commissioners to review the committee record and public comments before selecting a map.

The committee’s recommendations come after the board-approved charter amendment expanded single-member commission districts from six to eight. County staff and the committee said they used 2020 Census data to compute an ideal district population of roughly 178,738 residents and applied traditional, race-neutral redistricting principles — compactness, preservation of municipal boundaries, maintenance of communities of interest and preservation of cores of prior districts — while remaining mindful of federal equal-protection and Voting Rights Act requirements.

"Over the last 7 months, the committee worked closely with staff, consultants, and most importantly, the community to develop 2 proposals for your consideration in expanding the number of commission districts from 6 to 8," committee co-chair Camille Evans told the board.

Public comment filled the chamber for the item. Speakers from Winter Park, Maitland and College Park repeatedly urged commissioners to adopt Map 1a, saying it keeps Winter Park with like-minded urban neighbors and preserves municipal and service relationships such as joint call centers and school connections. Winter Park Mayor Sheila DeCiccio told the board her city preferred Map 1a so the city would be represented with communities that share its urban character.

Other speakers — including representatives of community organizations and organizers who helped develop Map 7b — urged adoption of Map 7b, saying it unifies Pine Hills and other unincorporated neighborhoods and protects equitable representation for historically underserved areas. Salvador Rosas of Hope Community Center said Map 7b "puts the power where it belongs with the people," citing the map’s effort to create districts where Black and Hispanic populations form the largest share of voters in multiple districts.

The county’s Supervisor of Elections provided technical feedback after the maps were drafted, flagging a few low- or zero-population census block "islands" and recommending adjustments to align precincts and congressional reporting requirements. Staff told the board the SOE analysis was done at the end of the process and that the committee did not have an opportunity to consider those precinct-level suggestions while developing the two recommended maps.

Board members discussed the competing public positions at length. Several commissioners said they could accept either map while others expressed preferences: some favored Map 1a to preserve certain municipal groupings and historical continuity; others supported Map 7b to keep Pine Hills intact and to prioritize equitable unincorporated representation. No vote was taken. Staff said the board must adopt a plan by Nov. 1 and described a tentative schedule for additional hearings; if the board does not indicate a preference, staff will advertise both maps for a future public hearing.

Committee and staff documents show the committee considered 28 map submissions, advanced seven for further discussion, and ultimately forwarded two proposals. Staff presented legal considerations including the county’s contiguity requirement and the 10% maximum population deviation guideline the committee used as a working threshold; Map 1a had a relative deviation near 6% and Map 7b near 8.36% in staff analysis.

County leaders said they would ask staff to review the Supervisor of Elections’ technical recommendations and to return with any necessary adjustments and a recommended map adoption schedule. The board did not adopt a map on Sept. 16; a final adoption ordinance is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 14 with a required adoption date no later than Nov. 1 under county timelines.