Department of Justice approves county's redistricting plan

County commissioners whose precincts were affected by the redistricting are currently determining when and how they will operate satellite offices for residents who are not located conveniently to permanent precinct offices

New DOJ-approved county precinct map,
good until 2020. Click on map to enlarge

Note: Here's news we completely missed, sorry 'bout that. There are lots of changes in the new county precinct map that voters and taxpayers should be paying attention to. A prediction made by the RoundUp in the late stages of the redistricting process looks like it will indeed likely occur, costing taxpayers extra dollars due to the changes in commissioners' precinct boundaries – the addition of satellite offices.

(An advisory sent this morning by the county says the county's website, email and online services will be down from noon today to about 4 p.m. as equipment is moved to the new $60 million county government center at Hunter Rd. & Wonder World Dr. in San Marcos.)

Send your comments and questions to roundup.editor@gmail.com, to county elections administrator Joyce Cowan at elections@co.hays.tx.us, to your (new) county commissioner, or click on the "comments" at the bottom of the story

Press Release
Contact: Laureen Chernow
Hays County Communications Specialist
laureen.chernow@co.hays.tx.us
Office: 512.393.2296

Hays County Courthouse, San Marcos, TX (Nov. 10, 2011) – The Hays County Commissioners Court has been notified by the Department of Justice that it has approved the County’s redistricting plan. The approval means that the County can schedule elections as needed for 2012, since the redistricting plan goes into effect January 1, 2012.

Redistricting in Hays County was required when 2010 Census figures showed that Precinct 2 had grown considerably since the 2000 Census. By law, there can be no more than a 10 percent deviation between the most heavily and least heavily populated precincts. Redrawing precinct lines also must be done in accordance with the Federal Voting Rights Act, which ensures that groups covered by the Act maintain their voting strength and representation.

From a number of proposed plans, the Hays County Commissioners Court selected the map known as M2 following several public meetings and hearings. The M2 map has a population deviation of 9.44 percent.

County commissioners whose precincts were affected by the redistricting are currently determining when and how they will operate satellite offices for residents who are not located conveniently to permanent precinct offices.

Under the new map, some of the areas that will move into Precinct 3 include H&H Industrial Park, Lowman Ranch, Hunters Hill, Hunters Glen, Lost River Ranches, Preserve at La Ventana, La Ventana West, Vineyard Ridge, Shepley Ranch and Gracy Meadows.

Also moving from Precinct 4 into Precinct 3 are York Creek Meadows and Ranch, Las Lomas, Sierra West, Running Rope, White Wings, Fox Hole, Highlands B, Northwest Hills, Morningwood and Gonzales Estates. The subdivisions of Rainbow Ranch, River Mountain Ranch and Rolling Oaks, which are currently divided between Precincts 3 and 4, will now be entirely in Precinct 3. Old Ranch Road 12 will remain in Precinct 3.

Precinct 2 subdivisions Arroyo Ranch and Hometown Kyle will move into Precinct 4 and the Amberwood, Steeplechase and The Trails subdivisions will move to Precinct 1.

In Precinct 1 the area between Aquarena Springs Drive and Hopkins Street moves to Precinct 4, and West Wonder World Drive, now shared between Precincts 1 and 3, will be completely in Precinct 3.