New County Board District Map Looks Familiar

A frequent critic called Kendall County board members an “embarrassment” and left the board meeting Tuesday night after members approved a reapportionment map largely similar to the current two-district system.

Chrisi Vineyard shouted from the audience that county board members  after they voted 5-3 to approve the “Scenario 2” map. Vineyard and a few others  to consider a five-district or 10-district map, which they believe would avoid diluting the county’s minority votes.

“This redistricting is a dog-and-pony show,” Vineyard said before the vote. “I’m asking you to go back and do it the right way.”

The county board districts, along with districts for the state legislature, U.S. House of Representatives and some cities, are redrawn every 10 years after census data is released to ensure that the population – and minority groups – are balanced among districts.

The approved “Scenario 2” map has 58,001 people in District 1 and 56,735 people in District 1, while “Scenario 1” had a slightly more equitable division of ethnic minorities.

Neither scenario did enough to allow a minority to be elected to the county board, Vineyard said.

“What’s happening here is that for the next 10 years, minorities will not be voted in,” Vineyard said.

Adding more districts would make it easier for newcomers and less affluent people to be elected, said Yorkville area resident Todd Milliron, who ran for a District 1 county board seat in November with the Green Party.

“It makes a lot more affordable for regular folks to afford a campaign and run for office within that immediate area,” Milliron said.

But board member Nancy Martin said the citizens she talked with while out in the community seemed content with a two-district system.

“I’ve never gotten anyone who said they had a great deal of concern or they weren’t happy with the way things are,” Martin said, adding that she didn’t believe redistricting was a major concern in this economy.

Board members Robert Davidson and Dan Koukol voted against the “Scenario 2” map, indicating later that they supported “Scenario 1.”

Elizabeth Flowers, the county board’s sole Democrat, supported a five-district proposal.

Two board members – Jeff Wehrli and John Shaw – were absent. Davidson, with support from Koukol and Flowers, unsuccessfully tried to have the vote postponed until the entire board was there.