By By Sheila Blackmon/The Meridian Star
May 22, 2001
DECATUR Information from Census 2000 will help determine new district lines for the Newton County Board of Supervisors.
Smith said the population of supervisor districts must fall within a 10 percent range of each other.
Officials with the East Central Planning and Development District met with the board last week to offer their services. Their fees are $10,000 to redraw supervisor districts, $1,500 for Justice Court districts and $6,000 for school districts.
Smith said supervisors have used East Central workers in the past, but will also solicit quotes from other companies. He said the company hired will help gather figures and develop options for redrawing lines.
He said districts' road budgets are based on percentages of roads in each district. Though a district with more roads gets more money, the county "doesn't have a lot of money, so really the more roads you've got the more problems you've got."
He said supervisors must also consider minority populations and stay within the percentages required by the Justice Department.
Smith said he doesn't know yet if Justice Court and public school districts will have to be redrawn, but supervisors hope to do it all "without upsetting a lot of people" and "without a lot of controversy."
Sheila Blackmon is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. Call her at 693-1551, ext. 3275, or e-mail her at sblackmon@themeridianstar.com.