St. Mary's County, MD Redistricting Board for St. Mary's County, 10 Nov 2021

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From YouTube: 11/10/21 Redistricting Board of St. Mary's County Public Hearing

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Okay, we're going to bring this second forum public forum into order for the redistricting.

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Of the county, my name is rich johnson, I'm the chair. uh First, we welcome you to here to say what.

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You got to say uh before we get started: ask that you turn off your cell phone or put it to vibrate.

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uh We're gonna do a roll call of our members start from our left mount bergen, pat richardson,.

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To my right, paul, thompson and lance is on youtube: lance johnson. There you go so lance is doing this.

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From home, so we have a quorum. We can start going with the meeting first I'll go over the data.

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Of the current map and what we did and the numbers because we are going by the numbers, so the current.

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Map that we have that's in the county, our tasking was to go after population balance for all of the.

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Connecting or adjacent districts so and right now, according to our lawyers, it was 10.

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That was our goal, uh as you will see as we get to our data. Actually, we did better than 10.

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So the current uh four districts I'll go over it. The district 4 was an overweight compared.

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To the average they had 7 641 people more than the average that they should have been.

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And so district 1 was actually short, they were short a thousand eight hundred and thirteen.

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District two was short three thousand eight hundred and fifty two and district three was short.

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uh A thousand nine hundred: seventy seven, if you add up the negatives to the positive it.

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Goes to zero, so that was the imbalance. As for percentages for population, just give you a flavor.

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Population for the current map goes from 7.07 to 31.807 percent. We also had some other categories.

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That we had in the data from the census, we had uh people greater than 18. to me. It really doesn't.

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Help me much because it doesn't talk about the people below that are still eligible to vote.

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But for the current map it was 8.64 to 31.29 percent uh for the adjustments for the comparisons.

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For registered voters, which was accurate numbers, it varied from 2.47 to 24.92.

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So what we did we had a very great. I guess, every time we do this, we get better. I t so. This is a.

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Very good, it helped us with the maps, so we were using existing software that we had that really.

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Wasn't designed for what we did, but it actually worked out pretty well and it could pretty much.

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If we needed a plot, they'd make it for us, so I'm very appreciative what it did. So we all.

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Did our maps and we eventually voted on a map and we picked matt's map? That's matt down there.

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Mine was very similar, so I was okay with that. So what matt put together.

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For population, it basically was point three, four percent to one point: zero one percent so.

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Instead of the ten percent, we actually did a lot better. uh The other thing that we looked at.

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It wasn't, we didn't vote on it as for like a strict compliance, but we.

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Looked at natural boundaries and other boundaries like roads, we also tried to keep.

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Things together, communities, we actually did add the chestnut hills, chestnut ridge together.

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Because, currently it's split between district 2 and district 1., so on the new map, it's combined.

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But do you look at the voters growing the 18 on mats map? It went from 0.48 to 5.74 percent.

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And the voters registered voters was 0.648 to 5.59, so we got very good to what our legal requirement.

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Was by the the county attorneys so with that I'll, let john! If you want to do your statement.

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All right welcome to the st mary's county, redistricting board public hearing to.

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Consider public comments on proposed boundaries of districts for the election of county commissioners.

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In the 2022 general election and thereafter, those wishing to offer public comment tonight should.

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Have signed up on the forms located in the lobby of the chesapeake building here at 41770 bulges.

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Baldrige street, in leonardtown, if you arrived after the forms were taken, you.

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Will have an opportunity to speak at the end of comments from those who have already registered.

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For those unable to join us in person, but who wish to address the board, please call 301-475-4200.

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Extension 1234 to provide your name and address for the record.

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You will then be given an opportunity to speak to the board through telephone conference.

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And again, that number is three zero one: four, seven, five, four: two: zero zero extension, one two.

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Three four: all speakers tonight will be allotted three minutes to address three distincting board.

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Speakers representing organizations will be allotted a total of five minutes to address.

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The redistricting board, at the end of your allotted time, we will let you know that your.

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Time is expired. We ask that you respect the time limits in order to give all those who.

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Wish to participate an opportunity to be heard tonight. This public hearing is being televised.

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Live on st mary's county government, tv 95 and the county's youtube channel, if you should miss any.

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Part of this hearing it will re-air on channel 95 sunday november 14th at 7 pm and will remain.

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Available for on-demand viewing on the st mary's county government youtube channel. Please also note.

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The public comment period will remain open for seven days following tonight. Should the.

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Public wish to send an email to csmc at saint mary's md.com or by u.s mail to p.o box 653.

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Leonardtown maryland 20650. At this time we have a total of seven citizens who have signed up to.

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Give remarks in person tonight and ask the first person colin j, foster to approach the.

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Microphone in the middle and please state your name and address for the record.

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Yes, hi, I'm colin foster- and I am a resident of this county in piney point.

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Let's make it very clear to the people what this proposal does to our democracy here in.

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Saint mary's, it blatantly rejects the founding principles our nation was built on, such as popular.

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Sovereignty and consent to the governed without excuse or apology. This commission has deluded.

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And disenfranchised voters of color in lexington park, great mills and california by separating.

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Communities of interest in order to crack their power apart into white majority republican.

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Districts, this calls into question the legality of this proposal under the voting rights act.

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I want my time spent here in front of the public to expose the truth of your intentions.

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You're expecting delegate crosby to reintroduce his single member district bill in annapolis in.

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One to two years and expected to pass with flying colors the only way to maintain the.

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One party rule is to eradicate the democratic majority districts in south county. How ironic.

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For an all-white republican commission to do such an act of deception and institutional white.

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Supremacy when the same party who cried foul in 2020, couldn't win an honest presidential election.

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Our democracy as it stands, is illegitimate and fails to uphold the basic tenets needed in order.

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To maintain it, because this commission is all republican, unelected and its final decision.

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Isn't subject to referendum or veto power? It proves to the voters that the republicans can.

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And never will govern with the majority's trust and conviction. The only way to win in this county.

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Is to concretely steal all future elections and silence the opposition at the ballot box.

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What an honest and fair map looks like is a competitive seat, including st.

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George's with neighborhoods around the st mary's river, a democratic majority district for south.

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County to include lexington park in the base and two republican majority districts up north.

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To include leonardtown, mechanicsville, morganza and golden beach, this map would roughly match.

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The party affiliation ratio the county has now. If the members of this commission wish to maintain.

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Their personal and political reputations as a fair, patriotic constitutional conservative.

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Then I suggest they follow the tenets of basic democracy and completely start from scratch.

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The next registered speaker is rose frederick, ms frederick, if you could.

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Please approach the microphone and state your name and address for the record.

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My name is rose frederick. I live at 404, o frederick lane loveville maryland.

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Why are we here? Why is this map? Why is that so disconnected then, from the 28 000 people that.

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Live in lexington park in great mills, 199 election precincts and two with the most minorities. Are you.

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Now saying that 28 percent of the population do not count and their voices do not matter.

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Why is wildwood and chestnut hills still intact? Is it because of the majority race in those areas.

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Really, we are now in year, 2021, and you still want to say or make the perception that certain.

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Individual voices do not matter. For years. We have heard that the map does not pop properly aligned.

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To the population, and now here you are making a map that needed a little tweaking and changed it.

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So dramatically, why would you upset? Why would you upset it? Wouldn't you be upset if someone came in.

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Your home and split up your family for no apparent reason, then power. Now you want to do this to the.

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Residents of lexington park in great mills stop the political craziness and do the right thing.

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You would rather over populate one district and under populate another just for power or.

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At least that is what is being perceived. Is that what you want, or do you want to ensure that this.

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Map is fairly drawn. Please redraw the map and take into consideration the districts that needs their.

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Needs and the impact of his people. This is not drawing a black and white line and making it work.

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A working document- this is a permanent document and an end of the conversation for 10 years.

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Livelihoods are affected by your map and plans, and this will fall on your shoulders for years to come.

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Can you handle that blame and stress you will be the face of this change, which is wrong? Can you.

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Really handle people pointing at you. I will say that it was requested and names were provided of.

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Experienced persons to be placed on this board so that what is happening now did not happen.

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But the county commissioners did not want that to happen. Commissioner o'connor told me in an.

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Email that he wanted people and experience was with working on county government boards.

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And now we have this fiasco and you the board, is being blamed if re-election time it's re-election.

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Time and the county commissioners are trying to create a structure to suit their needs.

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And it must be rejected. This massive failure is set to be blamed on you and it must be.

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Rejected and not moved further do the right thing and redraw the map. Thank you. Thank you.

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The next speaker is mrs anne-marie, abel, mrs abel. If you could please.

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Approach, the microphone and state your name and address for the record.

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Good evening my name is anne-marie abel. I live at 22869 newtown neck road leonardtown. Thank you for.

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Giving your time and energy to this board- I am not in favor of this proposed redistricting map.

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A flawed process from the start has contrived an over-processed and overproduced redistricting map.

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Instead of producing a map that moves, the fewest number of people.

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And moves the smallest number of boundaries we are presented with proposed changes affecting.

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Twenty eight thousand two hundred sixty six people, which is about twenty five percent of.

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Our current population, based on the twenty twenty census. Why? Where is the explanation for why 25.

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Of the people have to be moved to another district, it seems by this measurement. The goal fell.

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Way short, mr thompson's proposed map only affected 8 000 people, so it is possible. Do better.

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The proposed redistricting map fails to support the communities of hollywood and lexington park.

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At monday's public hearing the chair stated in his opening remarks, one of our biggest problems.

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Is lexington park, apparently that was solved by splitting the community of lexington park.

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And adding hollywood to district 4.? What do these two towns have in common? The redistricting board's.

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Open and televised meetings neglected to discuss the rationale for such a realignment. Did they.

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Even ask the current residents of hollywood or lexington park. Did they ask any of the 28 266.

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People or just the ones who are going to run for county commissioner and board of education.

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And speaking of the redistricting board's meetings during the 7 october meeting, dr richardson asked.

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The deputy county attorney john hauser, if the board should consider future population changes.

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Mr houser responded that the board should consider what is in terms of population, not what could be.

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Evidently, the chair is still using what could be rationale, what could be rationale when he.

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Said on monday, district 4 is still going to grow in 10 years. This is for a future.

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Redistricting board to address not this one: besides, population changes can be up or down.

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Any attempts to make assumptions about future population growth and trends.

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And to solve for them now without data is out of scope. I think that the proposed redistricting map.

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Is a preemptive strike on the likelihood of at large voting going away in the near future?.

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This is when each commissioner and board of education district will vote for their own and.

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The rest of the county doesn't: this is what could be? Certainly not a done deal. Anybody questioning.

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The rationale of the proposed map will be told what I overheard a current county commissioner, say.

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Just the other night, these changes don't really matter because of our at-large voting.

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I am not in favor of this proposed redistricting map as long as as a long-time registered voter.

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And taxpayer of saint mary's county, I respectfully request you to go back to the drawing board.

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And make improvements based on feedback from these public hearings. Thank you. Thank you.

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The next speaker is caitlyn freyr, ms freyr. If you would please approach the microphone in the middle.

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And state your name and address for the record.

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Hello, my name is caitlin fryer and I live at 44980 hamptons boulevard in leonardtown, I'm speaking.

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Tonight, in strong opposition to the proposed redistricting map, this map, splits communities.

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And the lack of diversity and representation from the communities that this map directly affects.

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Is a major red flag to the whole community and there is an average has the share stated.

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Of about 28 000 people per district- that is also the amount of people that were moved.

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To a different district, so why? When one of your goals was to move and affect the least.

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Amount of people possible did you instead move an entire district's worth of people. District 4 was.

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Only over 7 600 people, yet instead we moved 28 000 people make it make sense to me because it.

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Really doesn't make sense to pretty much anyone in this room and no one from monday's meeting.

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um Did you realize that it costs about two dollars to print every voter registration card? So when you.

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Go and change your address at the mba. They send you a new voter registration card. According to the.

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Board of elections, it costs about two dollars to print every single one of those cards. So by moving.

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28 000 people from one voter registry from one voter district to another. We now have to print out.

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That many new voter registration cards before the general election- that is a huge amount of money.

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That is coming out of the taxpayers dollars that we have no explanation for why this happened. This.

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Way, there's a huge, huge red flag overall, it's the splitting up of communities. That is really my main.

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Issue lexington park and great mills go together. They are like this. There is no reason to break.

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Them apart, we need to make sure that communities stay together and that um I hope that you take.

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This feedback and go back and you make the changes and that you do not just ignore every single one.

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Of us that will be speaking for the remainder of your redistricting hearings. Thank you. Thank you.

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Our next speaker is mrs barbara thompson, mrs thompson, if you could please approach.

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The microphone in the middle and state your name and address for the record, I'm barbara thompson. I.

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Live at 43865 thompson, farm lane in hollywood I had been a member of the previous redistricting.

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Committee and I will say that we did not have the advantage that this committee had to be able to.

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Manipulate using census districts, so we were forced to pretty much use voter registration.

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And that we did the best we could to keep communities of interest together, um while still.

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Trying to apportion the the four commissioner districts uh equitably, if you will, I think what.

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You've done here is not a service to the people of this county. I think you should have stayed.

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With more with keeping the map pretty much the way it was to to not further confuse the voters.

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Who are going to be confused anyway, when we get new legislative and congressional districts.

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So I would encourage you to go back to the drawing board. I watched the the previous meetings that you.

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Had I know that the minority came up with a map that was much more compact, maybe it.

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Wasn't as good as it should have been in terms of dealing with the population in lexington park,.

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But that doesn't mean that still can't be adjusted as far as the being proud about the.

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The percentages well, there's no question, but that things are going to change in the next 10 years.

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And so I mean when you throw the percentages out for most people, it's like what what they.

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More are interested in is you know where I live and who my commissioner is going to be.

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And the idea that somebody is going to represent an area that goes from.

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Lexington park all the way up, past oakville- I I just if I were running I would not want to.

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Have to deal with that long, you know I would like something: that's more compact and more contiguous.

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So anyway, just want to put my two cents in um I'm not pleased with the uh with the map that has been.

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uh Proposed, I think we could do better. Thank you. Thank you.

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Our next speaker will be brandon russell, mr russell, if you could please approach.

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The microphone in the middle and state, your full name and address for the record.

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Brandon russell 22291 meadow lane leonardtown um tonight, I'd like to talk about facts and.

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Frustrations I'll start with some facts between 2000 and 2010, the population of.

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Saint mary's county increased by 22 percent or about 19 000 people between 2010 and 2020. The.

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Population increased by 8 percent or nearly 9 000 people, the previous redistricting board in 2011.

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Made minimal changes to the commissioner districts moving election precinct.

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6-3 from commissioner district 2 into district 4., they did not split any election precincts.

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Under your proposed map, nine election precincts were split with 6 of those split just because.

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Of how you've drawn commissioner district 4., your proposed map affects more than 28 000.

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Voters in the county, as somebody has already mentioned, each of those voters will require a.

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New voter registration card and with a rough estimate of two dollars per card, I was given.

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By the board of elections that total amounts to fifty six thousand five.

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Hundred thirty two dollars in cost just for voter registration cards as a result of your decisions.

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I'm at a loss to understand why your map has been drawn drastically and affects so many people when.

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Considering that our 2020 population increase is less than half that of the 2010 increase.

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It's difficult to understand why this board has made so many changes to the map.

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My lack of understanding only increases when I recognize that the previous board in 2011 made.

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A simple change that affected far fewer people now a little history, the local redistricting.

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Board for our county was created in 1974 at the time st mary's county had only three commissioner.

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Districts, but in 1981 a fourth commissioner district was created by state law, and this.

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District encompassed the eighth election district. A decade later in 1992 the approved redistricting.

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Plan modified, which election districts and precincts belonged in which commissioner districts.

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However, even with these changes, the lexington park, great mills area and its respective elected.

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Election precincts were kept wholly in district four and, as far as I can tell.

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That has been the case for the last 40 years. The frustration you hear is for some 40 years.

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Or more worth of struggle to advocate for their community, for others like myself, the frustration.

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Is because I don't see a representative government in saint mary's county community members advocated.

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For a fair and balanced redistricting board, but the commissioners ignored us, I don't mean.

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To impugn any possible qualifications of anyone sitting on this board tonight, however, I seriously.

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Believe if our local government is to serve all county residents, it must reflect the very.

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Demographics of this county, it matters who sits on our volunteer boards and commissions. It matters.

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Who makes the decisions for redistricting and most of all it matters who we elect to represent us.

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I ask that you go back to the drawing board, consider alternative maps that were presented.

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And create a fair map while keeping communities whole. Thank you. Thank you.

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Our next speaker will be alfreda mathis, miss mathis. If you could please approach.

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The microphone in the center and remember to state your name and address for the record.

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Good evening, commissioners, my name is old freedom, talbert mathis and I reside at.

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45811 delegates court great mills maryland and I came tonight to finish what I started on monday.

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I want to thank you all for your service and I'm speaking in opposition of the proposed map.

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And I have questions, I understand that in order to reduce the density in the fourth commissioner,.

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District there were 28 000 people moved around according to the 2020 census, as stated in the.

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Southern maryland news friday october 29 2021 district, one, twenty eight thousand.

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Six hundred ninety five district, two, twenty eight thousand five, fifty three district, three.

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Twenty eight thousand three hundred and six district, four twenty eight thousand 28 0404.

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And it's a little curious because I believe these are the numbers that are in the draft map.

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And I want to see the original census numbers before the draft match, because then I can do.

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A better comparison of what is, and what is too big. um What are the current population numbers.

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As reflected in the 20 20 census to compare to the draft numbers information in the same report.

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Shows a change in position from second to fourth or last in the voter registration representation.

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Of the fourth district, when 2013 figures are compared to draft changes.

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How many people moves are actually recommended for each district and and which areas are they located?.

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My research and I, as I brought my little map back, I identified a move from.

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The second district to the third and the second district to the fourth and the.

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Fourth district to the second and the first district to the fourth and the uh fourth district.

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To the first and the fourth district to the first now, that's one two, three four five six moves and.

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There's a little sliver in there that I really couldn't identify I'm talking fast, because the.

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Chairperson shut me down other than that, are the we'll give you time most changes.

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uh Are the moves or changes politically motivated, culturally motivated, economically motivated or all.

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Of the above, a review of all of the moves begs the question: what are the redistricting goals.

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Give us the people who represent the uh who you represent the before and the after numbers.

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Give us a presentation of the facts you use to arrive at the conclusions in the proposed or draft.

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Map I cannot support the proposed redistricting plan. We all need more information. Thank you.

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Do we have any call-ins? We do not I'm going to check just to make sure.

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Thank you for calling for the state in the redistricting here you may have your.

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Name and address for the public record hi gabrielle. This is diane gleissner. I was.

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Just making sure there were no callers on the call center line, there are no callers. Thank you.

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So we don't have any more callers. Are there any additional persons here who.

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Wish to give public comment to the redistricting board on this occasion.

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All right seeing none, mr chairman, I believe that concludes this public hearing.

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I agree john thanks meeting adjourned.

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