The DeKalb County Redistricting Committee met last week to consider options for redrawing some district lines in order to comply with U.S. regulations following each census. After the 2020 census, DeKalb County shows an overall deviation of 11 percent in population, with law stating that deviations must not be over 10 percent. Counties must review district lines every 10 years, after the census data is released, to ensure districts have as close to an equal percentage of population as possible.
The deviation in district lines for 2020 are considered minor, and with the committee’s recommended redistricting plan, only 264 people in the county should be affected. GIS specialist, with the Tennessee Comptroller’s office, John Thomas, came up with the plan reviewed by the committee which was considered to affect as few residents as possible.
In the proposed plan, 158 people from District 3 would be moved to District 2, and 106 residents from District 5 would shift to District 6. With this plan the overall deviation down to 7.5 percent.
DeKalb County’s total population based on the 2020 Census is 20,080, and with seven districts the optimum desire population per district is 2,869 people. The total population in each district in the county, and the deviation is listed as follows:
District 1: Total Population- 2,860 (-9 people or 0 percent deviation from optimum)
District 2: Total Population- 2,691 (-178 people or -6 percent deviation)
District 3: Total Population- 2,992 (+123 people or 4 percent deviation)
District 4: Total Population- 2,948 (+79 people or 3 percent deviation)
District 5: Total Population- 2,945 (+76 people or 3 percent deviation)
District 6: Total Population-2,663 (-206 people or -7 percent deviation)
District 7: Total Population 2,981 (+112 people or 4 percent deviation)
According to Thomas, redistricting is achieved through census blocks, which are usually defined by physical landmarks such as roads, creeks, and sometimes even power lines.
Through the proposed plan an area bounded on the northeast by State Route 83; on the north by Vickers Hollow Road; on the southeast by Short Mountain Road; and on the southwest by Lee Braswell Road, would move from District 3 to District 2.
The area bounded on the north by Turner Road; on the west by Jacobs Pillar Road; on the south by Cappy Springs Branch; and on the east by McMinnville Highway, would move from District 5 to District 6.
The plan is believed to be the least disruptive, and is not believed to affect any current County Commission seats, or School Board members.
The Redistricting Committee consists of Administrator of Elections Dennis Stanley, County Mayor Tim Stribling, County Commissioners Shaee Flatt, Myron Rhody, Susannah Cripps Daughtry, Janice Fish-Stewart, Anita Puckett, Matt Adcock, and Bruce Malone, and DeKalb School Board Jim Beshearse and Shaun Tubbs. All voted in favor of the plan except Rhody who was not present.
The proposal must now go before the full County Commission at their next meeting on Monday, September 27. If approved, the Election Commission will work setting voting precincts and updating voter rolls in time for the 2022 elections.
