Redistricting Commission to Hold Public Hearing

The Montgomery County Redistricting Commission will hold its first public forum at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, May 26. The Commission will hear public input on the once-in-a-decade task of redistricting the five County Council districts.

Appointed by the County Council in January 2011, the Commission was tasked to present a redistricting plan and report to the County Council by Oct. 3. Within 30 days after receiving the plan, the Council must hold a public hearing on it. If within 90 days after presentation of the commission’s plan no other law reestablishing the boundaries of the Council districts has been enacted, then the plan, as submitted, will become law.

The County Charter requires districts to be substantially equal in population, compact, and contiguous. The new districts will be in effect for the 2014 Council election.

A map of the current Council districts can be viewed at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/csltmpl.asp?url=/Content/council/mem/district_map.asp

The public forum will be held at the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville. Those who sign up in advance will speak earliest in the evening. If time permits, others attending will be allowed to offer opinions after the registered speakers are heard. To sign up to speak, call 240-777-7929 or e-mail susan.mabie@montgomerycountymd.gov

Each speaker will be asked to limit their testimony to three minutes.

Written testimony can be provided via e-mail to: redistricting.comments@montgomerycountymd.gov or by sending written comments to: Montgomery County Redistricting Commission, Attn.: Susan Mabie, 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850.

The Commission has established a Web page to help residents stay current on its activities. The page can be accessed at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/csltmpl.asp?url=/content/council/redistricting/index.asp