Jefferson approves new voting districts in split vote

In split vote, the Jefferson City Council approved new voting districts Monday night. The new voting map district map was approved following major growth in the town over the past decade.

Council members C.D. Kidd III and Bosie Griffith voted against the new districts, while Kathy DuBose, Steve Kinney and Roy Plott voted in favor of the changes.

Kidd and Griffith did not comment at Monday night’s brief meeting but at an earlier work session on the issue Kidd said he didn’t agree with the plans to revamp his district.

At that meeting, Kidd said he wanted another map that will include more minorities in his voting ward. Under the proposal, his district stands to have the greatest population jump.

Like many communities across the nation, Jefferson redrew its voting districts for the city council and board of education using the 2010 Census figures. That data showed a dramatic population increase for Jefferson — from 3,825 in 2000 to 9,432 in 2010. Most of that growth in Jefferson occurred west of the U.S. Hwy. 129 bypass in a number of new subdivisions along Old Pendergrass Road.

At the start of the redistricting process, officials used the total population to determine an ideal, equal number of residents spread across all of the voting districts. For Jefferson, that would be 1,886 residents in each district, based on the 2010 Census. The city has five council districts and voters elect the mayor at-large.

Qualifying will be held in August for three council wards — District 1 (currently held by Steve Kinney), District 3 (currently held by Kidd) and District 5 (currently held by Roy Plott). The general election will be held in November.