School board looks at redistricting compromise
Written by Sarah A. Henderson
The St. Johns County redistricting saga continued Tuesday in St. Augustine when school board members were presented with yet another plan to consider.
This time, however, Revised Plan J, was drawn with the intention of being a compromise between Revised Plan C, favored by the school board, and Revised Plan E, favored by the Board of County Commissioners.
Both the St. Johns County School Board and Commission have worked since September across more than a dozen meetings to try to narrow down numerous proposed redistricting plans to one they can agree on.
In the past, both boards have chosen to share district lines, as suggested by the Supervisor of Elections Office, in order to mitigate voter confusion and curb election costs. Statutorily in Florida, the boards are not required to have the same district lines.
But in Tuesday’s school board workshop, it was clear the boards would not meet a final decision on the issue before the Thanksgiving holiday, the original goal deadline to finish the redistricting effort.
By Florida statue, according to school board attorney Frank Upchurch, the school board has until the end of the year to vote to accept its preferred district lines, whether or not the board members agree to share the same districts with the commission.
Revised Plan J, the plan presented as a compromise for the two boards, changes one main area in regards to Revised Plan C and Revised Plan E. That area, the city limits of St. Augustine, is no longer split as was the concern with the school board — the reason they recommended Revised Plan C over E.
Revised Plan J also incorporates Revised Plan E’s minority voting block of West Augustine in District 2, the plan desired by the majority of the Board of County Commissioners
Upchurch said Revised Plan J maintains District 2’s current minority population at about 13 percent. John Libby, consultant for the county who leads the drawing of the maps, said the population of minorities at voting age in District 2 is also nearly the same, which is at 14.23 percent in Revised Plan J — a less than one percent difference than the district’s current minority voting age population.
However, District 2 in Revised Plan J does not include the Lincolnville area as it did in Revised Plan E. Lincolnville is included in District 5 with the rest of the city of St. Augustine in the compromise plan.
The school board said they preferred Revised Plan C because it was simple and compact, and the Board of County Commissioners preferred Revised Plan E because it did not seem to dilute the minority vote of the greater St. Augustine area.
At the school board workshop Tuesday, all school board members but District 4 member Bill Fehling, who represents the Ponte Vedra and Nocatee areas, was willing to consider the compromise plan, Revised Plan J.
Fehling said he is upset over what he feels are accusations of district favoritism because of the school board’s original preference of Revised Plan C, which he personally believes best serves the community.
Fehling added that he was concerned that Revised Plan J or Revised Plan E would be detrimental to the board, potentially making it a more political, divisive board.
He said he would be “really disappointed in my fellow board members” if they choose to support a plan that would bring politics into the board.
Bill Mignon said he also shared those political concerns but will consider the compromise, Revised Plan J.
“I believe in every process a compromise has to be looked at carefully,” Mignon said. “I’m interested in a compromise, but I don’t want something that will inject politics back into the system.”
District 5 board member Carla Wright said her biggest concern with the process was whether the city of St. Augustine, the area she represents, would be split.
“Plan J keeps my city intact,” she said, noting that she, too, is concerned about the political ramifications of division of the northwest part of the city.
“Plan C did keep politics out of it,” Wright said. “I’m willing to compromise, but if everyone doesn’t compromise, then I’m going to stick my heels in for Plan C.”
Board chair and District 1 representative Bev Slough said she still prefers Plan C but also will consider the compromise.
“I am a person who believes in compromise,” she said. “I believe we should look closely at Plan J.”
Tommy Allen, District 2 representative, expressed concern over the redistricting process as a whole.
“I’m very concerned about the process — it evolving into a very argumentative process, divisive,” Allen said. “I’m not going to allow that to happen.”
He will consider the compromise, but Allen said he still believes Plan C is the best plan.
“What I’m hearing at the table is that we all like C but can live with J,” Slough said near the conclusion of the school board workshop.
The Board of County Commissioners is set to vote on their district lines at its Dec. 6 meeting. The school board will vote on its district lines Dec. 13, whether the board members choose the same plan adopted by the county commissioners or not.
“The quicker we solve this problem — whether we choose a compromise or separate districts — the better it is,” Wright said, “so we can get back to the education of our children.”
To look at the Revised Plan J map or any other proposed redistricting plans, visit the St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections Office website at www.sjcvotes.us
sarah@opcfla.com
(904)686-3941
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