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Commission votes against adopting new congressional-district code after heated debate
Summary
Washington County commissioners declined to adopt an ordinance updating the county code to reflect a newly drawn congressional map, with at least one commissioner calling the court-ordered map an overreach; the item was denied after debate and a voice vote.
Commissioners confronted a controversial housekeeping ordinance meant to update county code to match a court-ordered congressional map (CD3). County legal staff explained that code must match the official map for ballots and compliance ahead of January deadlines; several commissioners said they opposed changing local code while appeals and legislative actions remain pending.
The chair (identified in the transcript only as the meeting chair) made a forceful statement opposing the judge’s order and moved to deny the ordinance. The chair said, verbatim: "She’s guilty of criminal conspiracy for conspiring with democratic, socialist, and with with outside money to try and flip a district in the state and and basically control congress." Legal counsel and other commissioners responded that the judge’s order currently has legal effect and that failing to update the code would create noncompliance with state law and election programming requirements. After discussion and an attempted motion to table, the board voted to deny the ordinance (item 9; Ordinance 2025-13-13-0).
County staff had warned of a January 1 deadline to update code to match the new maps so ballots can be programmed. Commissioners who opposed the ordinance argued the change should be resisted politically and through appeals rather than implemented locally, while other commissioners said the county’s legal duty requires the update. The board adopted the motion to deny by voice vote; the transcript records the motion, second and the chair saying, "Motion passes."
