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Cheraw town manager presents proposed council redistricting map, outlines public‑hearing timetable
Summary
Rob Wolf, Cheraw’s town manager, said a proposed council map would rebalance six districts after the 2020 census showed the town’s population fell to about 5,040; the council is expected to take first reading in December and hold a public hearing in January.
Rob Wolf, the town manager of Cheraw, outlined a proposed redistricting map in a prerecorded briefing, saying the plan would rebalance the town’s six council districts after the 2020 census showed the town’s population declined to about 5,040.
Wolf said the town’s current council districts date to about 2006 and now show significant population variation. “One person equals one vote,” he said, describing the primary goal of the redraw as achieving as close to equal population in each district as possible while preserving neighborhoods and other communities of interest.
Under the 2020 counts Wolf read aloud, current district populations are: District 1 (Jim Crawford) 888; District 2 (Jerry Tucker) 910; District 3 (Cheryl Melton) 879; District 4 (Harvey Johnson) 775; District 5 (Amy Gavin) 667; District 6 (Richard White) 921. The town’s target population per district, based on a town total of about 5,040, is roughly 840 residents per district.
Wolf said the town worked with the South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office to produce maps and population calculations. The proposed map presented in the briefing would adjust populations closer to the target: District 1 (Jim Crawford) 827; District 2 (Jerry Tucker) 844; District 3 (Cheryl Melton) 838; District 4 (Harvey Johnson) 842; District 5 (Amy Gavin) 847; District 6 (Richard White) 842. Wolf said the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office tries to keep districts within plus or minus 5% of the ideal population.
Wolf framed the effort as a balance between numerical equality and retaining communities of interest, noting that the town seeks to avoid splitting neighborhoods across multiple districts. He also noted that municipalities are required to comply with constitutional and federal voting‑rights standards; in the briefing he referenced the 14th Amendment and the Voting Rights Act as legal guides for the process.
This session was presented as an informal informational briefing. Wolf said the council is likely to take first reading of an ordinance adopting the map at its December meeting, hold a formal public hearing at the January meeting, and then consider second reading afterward to make the map official. He directed residents to view large-format maps on the town’s website and on the South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs website and offered a contact phone number (843-537-7283) and an email shown in the briefing for questions or feedback.
The town manager closed by inviting residents to review the maps online and to contact town hall with questions; no formal vote or ordinance adoption occurred during this briefing.
