Ellicott City Neighbors to Council: 'Wheatfield Wants to Stay in District 1'

They were dressed in red, but not for the holidays.

“We have 53 people people here tonight—one night before Hanukkah, five nights before Christmas and a week before Kwanzaa,” said Debbie Walker of Wheatfield, ”so I’m thinking that’s speaking volumes…”

Walker and more than 50 of her neighbors who live along the Route 103 corridor in Ellicott City attended the County Council’s Dec. 19 meeting. They wore bright red as a show of opposition to the proposed redrawing of council districts.

A Redistricting Commission—appointed by the County Council to reevaluate council districts following population changes reflected in the census—proposed a plan in October that would move Wheatfield out of District 1 and into District 2, according to the Howard County Times.

At the meeting on Monday, Wheatfield residents said they wanted to stay with their District 1 neighbors of Brampton Hills and Stonecrest because they share common interests due to their geography, history and existing boundaries, some of the criteria the Redistricting Commission was directed by the county to use in redrawing its districts.

Last month, 130 people attended the before the council to say essentially the same thing.

After that showing of support from Wheatfield, residents said they were disappointed there was no further action on amending or discussing the map.

“We thought the county would hold at least one work session with the Redistricting Commission,” said James Widemen, who presented a slide show of reasons why Wheatfield should not be moved, at the Dec. 19 meeting. He suggested finding an alternative way of drawing districts “that would be more viable and affect less people.”

The Redistricting Commission recommended a map that would move 26,000 residents from their districts, versus other options that Wheatfield residents said would move half that number.

After the meeting, Councilwoman Courtney Watson, who represents District 1, said that no matter what, the outcome would serve citizens.

"It is almost overblown," said Watson, who noted that 26,000 people was 10 percent of Howard County's population. According to the 2010 census, the county's population is 287,085. "I think 10 percent of the population being redistricted is not that significant."

Still, Watson said she understood the residents were upset. "People are comfortable in their districts and don't want to move," said Watson. "We're going to do the best we can. Everybody wants to stay in District 1 but not everybody can."

District 1 has grown to be the largest due to the growth in that area, which includes Elkridge and Ellicott City, meaning that some of the population had to be redistributed into other districts.

"It's a very complex puzzle," said Watson. "There's no easy answer....But I feel that everyone will be satisfied with the representation in the long run. No matter what district you're in, you are going to get very fine representation from your County Council representative."

The County Council must vote on the proposed map by March 2012 or it becomes law.