Greater control by the people over County government is not what is really going on here. This effort is largely driven by ex-politicians and ex-Freeholders and their immediate supporters to enable the breakup of the county into small districts.

Our current Charter permits redistricting only by way of proposition submitted to the voters by a Charter Review Commission (CRC). Why does the Charter deny us the right to redistrict by public initiative? The answer is clear from comparison of the first step in each procedure:

CRC: Freely elected representatives from throughout the County meet in open public session, invite comment and criticism, and after debate considering the effectiveness of County government, proposes either a single county voting district (as the recent CRC did) or carefully designs separate voting districts after considering the needs and natures of interest groups and communities, and in any event legal review by the County Prosecutor.

Public Initiative: A “public” initiative is privately framed by an individual or small group with its own agenda. Although in this case nominally submitted by the previous council, the current proposition is a good example of initiation by this process. A private group using a computer whose metadata revealed its private owner, submitted two sets of proposals to the council. One submission specified five proposed districts without any opportunity to the many voters who would be impacted.

Is this “greater control by the people over County government.” Well, yes it is, if you mean control by some people. Those unelected few who draft an initiative petition would control the choice presented to the voters simply by elimination public discussion of alternatives.

Don’t be misled into thinking that CRCs are too few and too far in the future. Contrary to the misleading Pro Statement in the Voter’s Pamphlet that CRCs can only be held every ten years, the next one is only seven years away, and thereafter can be called as often as every other year (Charter, §9.20). There has been no public correction.

To preserve your freedom against private invasion and retain your right to vote county-wide, reject Proposition 1.

Bill Appel, Waldron

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