Redistricting Update---Set of Maps Chosen

Just a quick update on redistricting, the County Board's Executive Committee met tonight and chose a set of maps.  We were given 3 options.  When I first saw the three options, I wasn't too thrilled with them.  However, after reviewing them closely and after hearing the explanation of our Data and GIS Manager explain why each set of maps were set up that way, one set of maps really stood out as a very good option for the next 10 years.

All three sets of maps focused on the following 5 priorities:

• Equal Population
• Compact districts
• Follow municipal lines
• City, Village and Town representation
• Minimize ballot styles

We chose draft 3.  What made this set of maps good?

• It gave the village of Jackson its own district, something that was lacking in the district maps used for the 2016, 2018, and 2020 elections and something that many on the board, myself included, wanted.  The Village of Jackson has the population to support having their own district, and the current district boundaries split the Village of Jackson into two.
• It gave a fair representation to the towns.  Statistically, the towns have not grown as fast as the cities or villages.  With the 2020 population data, the villages should have 8 districts, the two cities should have 7, and the towns should have 6.  The population increases no longer supported the equal 7/7/7 breakout between the towns, cities, and villages.  Keeping the towns with 6 representatives was important.
• The design stuck closely to municipal boundary lines, reducing the number of different ballot combinations that will be needed for the county's April elections and making it easier for municipalities to draw up their districts and wards.
• It was the only map that kept the City of West Bend as 5 districts, where the other two had West Bend over 6 districts with some area of the towns in their district.

In general, almost everyone seemed to recognize the value of the district maps we chose.

Most importantly, two years ago we voted to reduce the County Board from 26 to 21 Supervisors.  This was something that many Supervisors, including myself, had promised to do for our constituents, and it was good to fulfill this promise.