Residents urge Deschutes County commissioners to slow or reject proposed district map

Several residents urged the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 1 to delay or reject a proposed plan to divide commissioner seats into geographic districts, saying it would reduce voter choice and could prompt costly legal challenges.

Roger Sabatini (who introduced himself in public comment as Sabadini) told the board the proposed map is “undemocratic and highly partisan” and said that county problems such as wildfire response, air quality, homelessness and water resources are countywide issues that should not be split by geography. Emily Brown, a Bend resident, said the MAP Committee did not reach a consistent majority and warned the county is being opened to “costly and time consuming litigation.” Becky Hickman said drawing districts narrows voter opportunity and called the practice “synonymous with gerrymandering.” Mary Fleischman raised administrative costs tied to district ballots, tracking and campaigning.

The speakers repeatedly asked the board to consider alternatives that preserve countywide voting for commissioner offices or to allow more study and review of other jurisdictions’ approaches before placing a map on the ballot. None of the public commenters requested an immediate board response during the citizen‑input portion; the chair noted that citizen input does not require an immediate reply.

Why it matters: The public comments underscore a significant local resistance to the county’s current districting process and point to two likely near‑term consequences for the board: increased public scrutiny during upcoming hearings and the potential for legal challenges if the board advances a disputed plan without additional outreach or revisions.

What’s next: The comments were entered into the public record; the board did not take a final vote on any map during this meeting, and the issue remained on the county’s work plan for future discussion.