Guilford County Chairman Skip Alston is Muddying up the Redistricting Process for a Losing Proposition

UPDATE: looks like this post is null and void according to Mark Binker from New and Record with a few post out today
CLICKHERE
CLICKHERE

Guilford County Chairman Skip Alston is trying to muddy up the waters with the talk of referendum and also having a 9 member map turned into the Department of Justice(DOJ) along with the 8 member map at the same time.

In the High Point Enterprise on July 26, 2011 this is what was said:

"County Attorney Mark Payne reminded the committee that commissioners can work on 2 tracks. "If there are two plans we should send them at the same time". "

 Here is the problem. When the state made the law to make Guilford County a 9 member board with 8 districts and 1 at large and that they needed a clearence from DOJ in this bill there was no mention of sending any other plans for them to consider. During the Guilford County Redistricting Committee meetings we have been hearing that Skip Alston wants to also send a 9 member map with 2 at large to the DOJ if the citizens of Guilford County will approve a referendum to by pass what was done and to go back to a 11 member board .

I think this talk of a referendum will come up during the August 4th meeting to have them put the referendum on the November election. There is one huge problem in that the City of High Point has their elections in even years and if Skip Alston wants to put this losing proposition on the ballot in November you will probably see plenty of citizens in High Point and also the unincorporated Guilford County not like this one bit going to the polls to vote on one item. I am sure the DOJ will not like this referendum and a City with over 100,000 will only be going to the polls to vote on this one item. What is the cost for doing this?

If we are talking about referendum then let's talk a 7 board member for Guilford County put that on the ballot as well.

From the quote above it seems like they want to completely mess with the process to also add these other maps to the mix where no one has seen or even talked about a 9  plus 2 member map.County Attorney wants to send them both at the same time but to me it needs to be a complete separate avenues for the DOJ and if they do send them together then you will see some objections from me and plenty of other people in this county.

Here is a link to all the maps that have been turned into the Guilford County Legal Department
CLICKHERE in regards to the redistricting process that will have a public hearing tomorrow at the Guilford County Courthouse starting at 5:30pm

Public Hearing Notice - Thursday, July 28 at 5:30 p.m.

The Redistricting Committee of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners hereby gives notice of a public hearing to receive public comments in its efforts to adopt a redistricting plan pursuant to the requirements of the General Assembly in Session Law 2011-172 as well as N.C.G.S. 153A-22. The public hearing shall be held on July 28, 2011 at 5:30 P.M. in the Commissioners Meeting Room located at the Old County Courthouse, 301 W. Market Street, Greensboro, NC.