By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
Supervisor of Elections Tammy Jones tossed out a proposal Tuesday that would make the district numbers of Levy County School Board members and Levy County Commissioners identical.
The current district numbers for both boards are different. Jones wants the district numbers of the two boards to be a perfect match. The district numbers would be changed to make identical district maps for both boards.
Speaking to the school board, Jones said the state requires both boards to study their district boundary lines this year to determine whether the 2020 Census reveals population shifts that might move district lines.
Given that fact, she thought it was an ideal time for the school board and county commission to think about adopting identical district numbers. She said it’s not mandatory, but it’s something she wants to do.
“I don’t know why historically the numbers are different but for voting purposes and just to make things easier, the numbers would be better if they were the same,” Jones said. “I propose to you an idea. It doesn’t have to be that way.”
County commissioners and school board members represent the entire county but they also represent their individual districts.
Jones said Alicia Tretheway, county commission procurement coordinator, said the county commission is preparing to go out for bids to hire a company that would study redistricting. The Request for Proposals or bid documents are being reviewed by the county attorney.
The elections supervisor said she thinks the school board could piggyback off the county commission’s vendor and save money by using the same company to study redistricting. She said 10 years ago the school board and county commission used the same company.
She said the school board would have to communicate with county commission staff about the possibility of using the same vendor. School Superintendent Chris Cowart said he would bring back the county’s request for bids for school board review.
Jones said School Board Attorney David Delaney should review any legal documents coming to the board including that RFP bid documents.
The elections supervisor said changing the district numbers shouldn’t have any effect on incumbent school board and county commission members except that those running for office would have to change the numbers on campaign signs.
She said the number for District 1 in Bronson wouldn’t change. The county commission and school board identify the same District 1 on both maps.
The maps of both boards show identical district boundary lines now except for a small jog in the county commission map in the Fanning Springs area. Jones said the original plan, as she understands it, was for both boards to adopt identical maps except for district numbers, but the county commission made a late change after the 2020 census to put a small jog in their map. She said the only difference in the maps is the jog in the Fanning Springs area.
——————
Levy Supervisor of Elections Maps from https://www.votelevy.com/Resources
School Board of Levy County Regular Meeting May 25, 2021; Posted May 25, 2021
