Wednesday, July 13, 2011
County schedules public hearings on redistricting
For more information, contact:
Laureen Chernow
Hays County Communications Specialist
laureen.chernow@co.hays.tx.us
Office: 512.393.2296
Hays County Courthouse, San Marcos, TX – The Hays County Commissioners Court has scheduled three public hearings to discuss redistricting and invites the public to attend or to watch the hearings live on the Internet.
In preparation for the meetings, an advisory committee appointed by the Court has posted several proposed new precinct maps that the Court will review and use as starting points for discussion about finalizing precinct lines. View the maps at ftp://ftp.co.hays.tx.us/gis/redistricting/. New versions of some of the maps were posted July 12 to reflect finalized Congressional district lines.
The advisory committee includes Hays County Commissioner Debbie Ingalsbe (D-Precinct 1), Hays County Commissioner Will Conley (R-Precinct 3), City of Buda Mayor Pro-Tem Sandra Tenorio (D-Place 3) and Bud Wymore, chair of the Hays County Republican Party. The County’s legal advisor for redistricting is Rolando L. Rios & Associates, which has vetted the posted maps as meeting legal guidelines.
Meetings are scheduled for Monday, July 25, at 6 p.m.; Tuesday, August 9 at 1:30 p.m. and Tuesday, August 16, at 1:30 p.m. All meetings will be held in the third-floor Commissioners Courtroom at the Hays County Courthouse, 111 E. San Antonio Street, San Marcos. To watch the proceedings go to www.co.hays.tx.us/commcourtlive.
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12 comments:
Hellooo??
Why is the Hays County GOP Chair on the Committee? This is an obvious conflict of interest.
From July 15 Austin American-Statesman:
"In addition to three public hearings about the county's redistricting efforts, Hays County Commissioner Ray Whisenant is offering county residents another opportunity to weigh in on six proposed maps that redraw the county's precincts.
Whisenant will show the maps and answer questions from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday [July 20] at the Precinct 4 building in Dripping Springs...."
Maybe Will Conley, our Precinct 3 commissioner, would display and answer questions on the 6 different redistricting maps that are proposed? Perhaps in the Wimberley Community Center?
To Anon, 12:20 PM-
The county redistricting commitee THIS YEAR is made up of 4 people: Commissioners Ingalsbe and Conley, and 1 representative each from the Democratic and Republican parties.
In former years, the committee has been larger, and some members were from the public.I think we should return to that policy AND return to open meetings. Conley has done all he could(and succeeded) in keeping the meetings secret.
Mark Jones has scheduled a public meeting on redistricting for Precinct 2 (and others) on Monday, July 18, 7 p.m., at the Hays Hills Baptist Church, Buda. Maps will be on display, and Comm. Jones will answer questions.
All 6 proposed county redistricting maps (4 L maps & 2 M maps)short-change Precinct 4 on number of people in the precinct, and 5 of the maps short-change Precinct 3.
By almost the same number of people, Precincts 1 & 2 are OVER represented.
Plan M1, Revised has Total Deviation of 8.23%. That's higher than Plan L4 (5.79%, the best of the 6 maps).
Commissioner Ingalsbe's PRESENT map is closer to the Ideal Number than any of the 6 proposed maps. Her precinct needs to go not so far north as the new maps would have it.
I have a feeling it has already been decided and this is all a dog and pony show so we feel good that we were included. In these meetings they may even make us feel like we are in agreement to the decision they make us believe we helped to make. It's called the Delphi Technique and is used extremely successfully. Word on the street is that HTK is calling for a boycott of all Conley Car Washes as other subs are talking about participating.
Dear Kyle Resident,
I think your fears of a dog and pony show are well founded. When commissioners held precinct meetings in advance of their deciding on a Hays County Water and Wastewater Plan in Feb. 2011, it definitely was a d&p show. HDR Engineering (who seem to get most of the Hays Co. consulting jobs)gave the commissioners exactly the plan they wanted, I've no doubt. Mr. Rios, who is a consultant picked by Commissioner Ingalsbe, is no doubt okaying the plans that the redistricting committee wants, too.That may be why Ingalsbe's Precinct 1 got an okay on all 6 proposed redistricting maps to have 2,000-4,000 more people in it than Whisenant's Precinct has. Even though all precincts should have the same population number.
to Kyle resident--
Good for HTK! Boycotting Conley car washes should get his attention. The people who boycott should put a sign on their car windows, to let other people know to do the same.
(I guess "subs" means subdivisions?)
Sam Brannon reported (see last article currently on this blog) that when he asked Commissioner Whisenant about financing for the LCRA properties, the Whiz said that some entity -- maybe the Coalition or Hays County Water & Sewer Authority -- would probably issue revenue bonds. Sam asked who will lend money on money-losing assets (which the LCRA facilities are)? Whiz avoided the question by simply laughing. But it's a serious question. Who WILL lend the money, and will it be at an above-market rate since the venture is risky?
Also, it chaps me that when asked who will pay off the bonds, the commissioners answer that some unnamed "entity" will do it. That's no answer. An "entity" has money only if we, the taxpayers, give taxes to it. As usual, WE will be paying for this dubious undertaking. And I don't mean just
the LCRA ratepayers in the Dripping Springs area.
HA! Liberals don't wash their cars anyway. The water going down the drain causes them extreme concern.
Anon,12:12 PM:
It ain't gonna be only liberals boycotting Conley, mon ami. Lotsa folks are fed up with The Big C.
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