Advocates call for transparency in Baltimore County Council redistricting map process
Baltimore County leaders and advocates rallied Friday, calling for transparency and accountability in the council's redistricting map process.
Rally organizers said under the current process, the proposed redistricting map would not be available to the public until the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 9, six hours before the scheduled public hearing.
"This last-minute release of amendments to Bill 5-25 provides no meaningful opportunity for residents to review, understand, or respond to the map before the hearing," rally organizers said in a statement.
During the rally on Friday, advocates called for the immediate release of the map and called on the council to commit to a transparent and inclusive redistricting process.
"Releasing a map just hours before the hearing silences public input. A fair process requires transparency, time for review, and genuine engagement," said Peta Richkus, a member of the Baltimore County Coalition for Fair Maps.
Richkus said the council's actions "...including releasing a map without adequate public review, only prove that the totality of the public's input was never meant to be seriously considered."
"We call on every councilmember to honor their oath of office and to defend minority voting rights as required by the VRA [Voting Rights Act]," Richkus added.
Baltimore County redistricting process
The county's Councilmanic Redistricting Commission in June issued its final report and recommendations to the council in June.
During the process, the commission held four public hearings and received more than 1,000 public comments.
Between January and June, the commission said it held 13 public meetings and released two draft maps. It approved the third map for its final recommendation in a 4-3 vote.
According to our partner at The Baltimore Banner, the proposed map would create two majority Black districts and two mostly minority districts in the county.
A final council vote is scheduled for September 15, but the council has until October 1 to approve the maps or renegotiate.
Redistricting concerns
The ACLU of Maryland previously raised concerns about Baltimore County's redistricting plan and called on the commission to create a "legally compliant and community-driven 3-1-5 map," which would have three majority Black districts, one that is mainly minorities, and five that are majority white.
The organization argued that the 3-1-5 map would ensure fair representation for county residents.