Collin County Commissioners Court to wait until May to vote on redistricting of commissioner, constable and JP precincts

By Brandi Hart
McKinney Courier-Gazette
Created at 10:45 p.m. on Feb. 16, 2009

Collin County commissioners will wait until May to vote on the redistricting of the Collin County commissioners, Justice of the Peace and constable precincts to ensure they have sufficient information about the 162 voting precincts throughout the county.

The Collin County Commissioners Court met in a special meeting at 6 p.m. on Mon., Feb. 16 to discuss redistricting of the commissioners, JP and constable precincts to ensure all precincts include 25 percent of the county's population.

Collin County Administrator Bill Bilyeu presented four maps that the county's GIS staff members created that showed four scenarios of how the commissioner precincts might be changed. One plan showed all of Allen being moved from Pct. 3 to Pct. 1. Plan 1 showed Pct. 1 with 212,104 people; Pct. 2 with 163,167 people; Pct. 3 with 199,151 people; and Pct. 4 with 223,783 people.

Bilyeu said the county will receive the county population totals from the United States Census in 2010 and that any changes to the districts would have to be filed with the State of Texas Justice Department no later than Oct. 1. The state would prefer to have any changes made to the districts filed with the state by June so the Justice Department can ask any questions of the commissioners or staff before Oct. 1.

The redistricting of the commissioner precincts would not remove any of them from their current terms as they would get to serve in their existing terms until they expire after the districts are approved and changed, Bilyeu said.

Pct. 3 has the largest amount of people and including all of McKinney, Allen, Frisco and all of northern Collin County, such as cities like Anna, Blue Ridge, Melissa, and eastern Collin County, such as Farmersville, Princeton, Lowry Crossing, Nevada, and Josephine. Pct. 3 has more than 25 percent of the county's population, which means all of the Pct. 3 residents are under served in the Commissioner's Court, said County Judge Keith Self.

JP for Pct.2 and 3 John Payton said he would prefer the commissioners wait to vote on the redistricting of the constable and JP precincts when the commissioners voted to redistrict their precincts.

Payton also told the commissioners that his precincts need more coverage from troopers from the Texas Highway Patrol for areas east of Coit Road on the George Bush Turnpike, and asked the commissioners for more coverage from law enforcement in the area. Payton said the county is having to currently contract with troopers to cover the roadway on the weekends on the George Bush Turnpike. The reason most troopers don't work east of Coit Road on the George Bush Turnpike is that Payton was told that some troopers said "they can't find a good place to eat," Payton said.

JP for Pct. 1 Judge Raleeh also said he wanted the court to wait to vote to redistrict the JP precincts until the court votes to redistrict the commissioners precincts.

Many leaders of the Democratic Party of Collin County spoke in the citizen comment period of the meeting where commissioners spoke about the issue. Democratic Party Chairman Dan Dodd of McKinney said

Democratic Party member and Wylie resident Bill Baumbach asked the commissioners to open up the redistricting process to all residents by having a bi-partisan committee that would include members of the Democratic Party and not just the Collin County Republican Party. All members of the Commissioner's Court are Republicans.

Commissioner for Pct. 4 Kathy Ward suggested that the court create a committee of residents to discuss the issue.

"We have to be proportional and we don't want Joe (Jaynes) to have signs all over the county, bless his heart," referring to Commissioner for Pct. 3 Joe Jaynes having to place re-election signs in an unproportional precinct.

Former chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Collin County Deborah Angell Smith of Allen said it appears to her that the county is late in considering redistricting. She asked the commissioners to first redistrict all of the voting precincts throughout the county.

Democratic Party member Barb Walters asked the commissioners to first vote to redistrict the 162 voting precincts before voting to redistrict the JP, constable and commissioner precincts.

Former Democratic Pct. 3 Commissioner candidate Victor Manuel said it is important to give each citizen in Collin County equal representation.

They were the only people who spoke in the comment period about the issue except for JP Payton.

The commissioners will also receive information on the each individual voting precinct from County Elections Administrator Sharon Rowe in about 60 days, or sooner, Bilyeu said.

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