The Marion County Board’s Redistricting Committee is recommending the board remain with five districts with three board members per district. The committee will also seek an increase in pay per meetings from $50 to $75 in exchange for doing away with most committee meetings.
Board Chair Debbie Smith will recommend at the December meeting that the board move to two full board meetings a month and do away with all regular
committee meetings. The Redistricting Committee felt the move would allow county board members to be better informed on issues before them. Right now much of the discussion is at committee meetings attended by only about a third of the board members.
Under the proposal, during the first meeting of the month, the full board would hear presentations and information about pending business. They would then return for a second meeting of the month to take action on their agenda items. The committee felt with the elimination of committee meetings, the overall pay to board members would remain about the same as under the current structure. Committee chairs would remain, to keep track of issues under their jurisdiction.
The liquor and personnel committees could continue to meet on their own when needed.
With very little change in population shifts between the five district’s the committee is recommending only one change in the current district boundaries. 160 residents in Centralia Precinct 11 will move to Centralia 12. The change would move the impacted residents from county board district three to four.
County Clerk Steve Fox says residents impacted by the move are on the eastside of Raccoon Lake form Route 161 to Green Street Road.
The proposals will be taken to the full Marion County Board at their December meeting on December 14th.
