MONROE - Changing to city-wide, at-large representation is one option the Judiciary and Ordinance Review Committee is looking at for the City of Monroe, after Green County passes its redistricting plan this year.
To save money, the city would most likely reduce its 10 wards and adjust the boundaries to coincide with the county nine districts in the city.
"The city can have ten wards," County Clerk Mike Doyle said. "But you could have 30 ballots" at election time, to accommodate the overlapping boundaries.
He added that "it would cost about $1,000 to $2,000 (more) per election, and would create total confusion to the electors."
Doyle said the county would not pay for the additional ballot printing costs. The major question facing the city is how to adjust its 10 aldermen for nine wards.
Doyle said there was no gerrymandering when the new district map developed.
"The elections hadn't happened yet, so we didn't know where aldermen would be living," he said.
Two of the new wards would each encompass the residences of two current aldermen, and leave a third ward without an alderman. Aldermen are required to live in the wards that they represent.
Aldermen would serve out their terms regardless of where they live after the redistricting, according to City Attorney Rex Ewald.
But starting next April, under the current election process, the newly-elected alderman for Ward 9, Chris Beer, would be without a ward.
Changing Boundaries
The eastern-most boundary for Ward 9 is being shifted west, leaving Beer living in another ward - the same ward in which Alderman Jan Lefevre lives. Beer is currently filling a one-year vacancy, and Lefevre was just re-elected to a two-year term.
The new Ward 9 would need to find someone else to be their alderman.
Ald. Beer favors plan
Beer said she likes the idea of an at-large system.
"They would be voting for the entire city," she said. "Now voters have one person they can go to. Then, they would have ten."
Charles Koch, alderman for Ward 5, faces a similar situation when he comes up for re-election next spring: He will be living in the ward where Tyler Schultz lives, when Schultz's ward is expanded eastward. Schultz was elected for a two-year term this April.
Committee members noted some advantages, besides easing the transition process, and disadvantages of having at-large aldermen or a combination of ward and at-large representatives.
Changing to an at-large system is legal, but would require a change to the city charter ordinance, said Ewald.
"It's difficult to adopt - and to unadopt," he said.
Sara Conway said current aldermen, although elected by wards, work to represent the entire city and at-large representation would reinforce that idea.
"I like the at-large (option)," she said, "so anyone in the city could vote for one."
Schultz asked about whom citizens would call to express concerns, without a designated alderman.
Chairman Koch and several others said citizens can call any alderman with concerns or questions, and that they do so now.
'At-large' would eliminate primaries
Electing aldermen at-large would eliminate the need for primary elections. The top vote-getters would receive the seats.
"With at-large, we'd see increased participation in elections," Michael Boyce said. "Very seldom will someone throw their hat in against an incumbent."
Boyce distributed a chart showing, of the 50 seats up for election in the past 10 years, only 12 times were there two people vying for the same seat.
The committee briefly discussed making elections once every two years, as county supervisory board does, but found that alternating years leaves continuity on the council.
Census shows
population shift
The new census data shows a large increase in population in the northern parts of the county.
Doyle said he didn't have much option but to reduce the city from 10 to nine districts to accommodate the addition of a supervisory district in the north,.
"Monroe doesn't have the population to justify 10 districts," Doyle said.
Census data shows the City of Monroe lost about 16 people in the past 10 years.
"We wouldn't be having this discussion, if we had some growth in the city," said Boyce, after the meeting.
The Judiciary and Ordinance Review Committee will take up the discussion of redistricting again, after the county public forum on the redistricting plan April 26, and with a list of possible consequences that could come with the various options available to the city.
The county is planning to adopt the tentative redistricting plan at a Board of Supervisors meeting May 10. The city has 60 days after that to adjust its boundaries to comply with the county's map.
To save money, the city would most likely reduce its 10 wards and adjust the boundaries to coincide with the county nine districts in the city.
"The city can have ten wards," County Clerk Mike Doyle said. "But you could have 30 ballots" at election time, to accommodate the overlapping boundaries.
He added that "it would cost about $1,000 to $2,000 (more) per election, and would create total confusion to the electors."
Doyle said the county would not pay for the additional ballot printing costs. The major question facing the city is how to adjust its 10 aldermen for nine wards.
Doyle said there was no gerrymandering when the new district map developed.
"The elections hadn't happened yet, so we didn't know where aldermen would be living," he said.
Two of the new wards would each encompass the residences of two current aldermen, and leave a third ward without an alderman. Aldermen are required to live in the wards that they represent.
Aldermen would serve out their terms regardless of where they live after the redistricting, according to City Attorney Rex Ewald.
But starting next April, under the current election process, the newly-elected alderman for Ward 9, Chris Beer, would be without a ward.
Changing Boundaries
The eastern-most boundary for Ward 9 is being shifted west, leaving Beer living in another ward - the same ward in which Alderman Jan Lefevre lives. Beer is currently filling a one-year vacancy, and Lefevre was just re-elected to a two-year term.
The new Ward 9 would need to find someone else to be their alderman.
Ald. Beer favors plan
Beer said she likes the idea of an at-large system.
"They would be voting for the entire city," she said. "Now voters have one person they can go to. Then, they would have ten."
Charles Koch, alderman for Ward 5, faces a similar situation when he comes up for re-election next spring: He will be living in the ward where Tyler Schultz lives, when Schultz's ward is expanded eastward. Schultz was elected for a two-year term this April.
Committee members noted some advantages, besides easing the transition process, and disadvantages of having at-large aldermen or a combination of ward and at-large representatives.
Changing to an at-large system is legal, but would require a change to the city charter ordinance, said Ewald.
"It's difficult to adopt - and to unadopt," he said.
Sara Conway said current aldermen, although elected by wards, work to represent the entire city and at-large representation would reinforce that idea.
"I like the at-large (option)," she said, "so anyone in the city could vote for one."
Schultz asked about whom citizens would call to express concerns, without a designated alderman.
Chairman Koch and several others said citizens can call any alderman with concerns or questions, and that they do so now.
'At-large' would eliminate primaries
Electing aldermen at-large would eliminate the need for primary elections. The top vote-getters would receive the seats.
"With at-large, we'd see increased participation in elections," Michael Boyce said. "Very seldom will someone throw their hat in against an incumbent."
Boyce distributed a chart showing, of the 50 seats up for election in the past 10 years, only 12 times were there two people vying for the same seat.
The committee briefly discussed making elections once every two years, as county supervisory board does, but found that alternating years leaves continuity on the council.
Census shows
population shift
The new census data shows a large increase in population in the northern parts of the county.
Doyle said he didn't have much option but to reduce the city from 10 to nine districts to accommodate the addition of a supervisory district in the north,.
"Monroe doesn't have the population to justify 10 districts," Doyle said.
Census data shows the City of Monroe lost about 16 people in the past 10 years.
"We wouldn't be having this discussion, if we had some growth in the city," said Boyce, after the meeting.
The Judiciary and Ordinance Review Committee will take up the discussion of redistricting again, after the county public forum on the redistricting plan April 26, and with a list of possible consequences that could come with the various options available to the city.
The county is planning to adopt the tentative redistricting plan at a Board of Supervisors meeting May 10. The city has 60 days after that to adjust its boundaries to comply with the county's map.