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County attorney says new commissioner seats must be residency districts; public meeting set on redistricting
Summary
The county attorney told commissioners newly created seats must be residency-based, not at-large, and outlined statutory conflicts making the timeline tight. The redistricting map has been published and public comment is scheduled; missing petition signatures would leave vacancies for write-in contests in November.
The county’s legal advisor briefed commissioners on the county redistricting process after voters approved expanding the commission. The attorney said the adopted five‑district map appears to require that the two new seats be residency districts — meaning candidates must reside in the newly formed Districts 4 and 5 — and that the statutes governing redistricting and election filings interact in ways that complicate the schedule.
He warned the compressed timeline may create practical barriers for potential candidates who need to collect the required 195 signatures and said that if no candidates meet the petition threshold the seats will run as residency-seat write-ins on the general-election ballot. The redistricting map was finalized July 21 and will remain published in local newspapers through the end of August; a public meeting on the map was scheduled for Aug. 17.
"From a legally defensible standpoint, it's my opinion that the residency districts need to be followed," the county attorney said, noting that conflicting statutes make some deadlines untenable and suggesting further analysis in his memorandum. Commissioners were urged to direct questions to the auditor’s office or the Secretary of State for election-specific matters.
