Court appoints commission to oversee magisterial district reapportionment
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Tuesday, May 16, 2023 — Nelson Fiscal Court took the first steps Tuesday night to reapportion the county five magisterial districts.
A committee of three individuals were appointed to a commission that will work with the Lincoln Trail Area Development District to oversee the work that will eventually make the county’s districts basically equal in populartion that each magistrate will represent on fiscal court.
The three appointed to the commission were Mike Monaghan, Debbie Sneed and Jake Dilman.
State law requires that following each census, the magisterial district lines must be redrawn so to insure the districts are roughly equal in population.
The commission has 60 days in which to do its work and come up with recommendations.
POPULATION TRENDS. The county’s 4th District was the district with the large population increase between 2010 and 2020, gaining 1,602 residents.
The population of District 2 grew by 860, while District 5 saw a population growth of 584 between the 2010 and 2020 census.
The only factor the commission uses when drawing new district lines is the 2020 Census information, with the goal of making all five districts the same in population, plus or minus 5 percent.
Once new district lines are established, precinct lines will be adjusted so that voting precincts do not extend outside of a single district.
The district reapportionment was supposed to happen in 2022, but the General Assembly pushed it to 2023.
The new districts and precincts will not take effect until the primary and general elections of 2026.
BOLAWRAP GRANT. Fiscal Court approved a resolution necessary to accept a grant of approximately $67,000 to equip the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office with BolaWrap devices.
The BolaWrap is essentially a weapon that discharges a restraint line that wraps itself tightly around a target’s arms, body or legs. The BolaWrap is designed to be an additional non-lethal device that can help detain individuals without causing injury in a policing situation.
The device is safer to use than the traditional Tazer device as it does not use high voltages to subdue the target.
OTHER GRANT RESOLUTIONS. The court approved a series of resolutions in support of grants that will help fund a variety of projects in the county.
OUTDOOR CLASSROOM. The magistrates approved a resolution regarding a grant from the state’s Department of Local Government that will be used to create an outdoor classroom in a wooded area of Dean Watts Park.
The grant will be used to create a woodland trail that will go through the woods and exist near the back gate at the park.
LAND, WATER CONSERVATION FUND. The court approved a resolution for a grant of about $140,000 that will be used to pay for the granite monuments that will be placed at the veteran’s park by the Nelson County Justice Center.
The grant requires a 20 percent match, which will be paid by the veteran’s park fund.
NEXT UP. Nelson Fiscal Court will next meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 6, 2023, in the Bernard Ice Meeting Room on the second floor of the Old Courthouse.
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