Cherokee County Commissioners hear redistricting plan
Oct. 16—Cherokee County commissioners received a proposed redistricting plan from Kimberly Kelly of Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta LLP during the Oct. 12 meeting. The plan will bring the county into legal compliance of a less than 10% deviation in population. Data from the 2020 Census calculated the county to currently have an over 16% deviation, which initiated the redistricting process.
The plan presented to commissioners shifts populations in three areas to new districts.
The first area under consideration is in the Northwest portion of Jacksonville. Currently Precinct 4 includes a portion of neighborhood west of N. Patton St. extending from Pine St. to Alabama Ave. westward to Texas Ave. The proposed plan would extend the Precinct 4 boundary westward to Washington Ave., removing this area from Precinct 3.
Precinct 1 would take in a portion of Precinct 3 with the boundaries from US-79, extending east along W. Larissa St. before moving southward along College Ave. to Woodlawn Ave. From there, the boundary turns west along Woodlawn and north on Bridge St., west again on Devereaux St. and north on Hickory St., returning to US-79.
The second area of change is along the border of Precinct 1 and 2 in the northwest portion of Rusk. An area including Hwy. 84 as a southern border, Hwy 110 on the west and CR 1301 to the north, also known as Bagley Road, extending to the city border on the east, would be moved into Precinct 2. There would be a gap in the middle of the area between Academy St., on the east, and King St., from Bagley to Marshall, westward on Marshall, then south on Gambrell to Hwy. 84. The gap is necessary in order to keep the justice of the peace living in the precinct she serves.
The final shift in precinct boundaries would take a portion of Precinct 4 in and around Reklaw and place it into District 2.
A public hearing was held regarding the proposed precinct boundaries, but no member of the public voiced any opinion.
The proposed redistricting plan will be considered and a vote taken at the next commissioners court meeting Oct. 26.
Commissioners named Jim Tarrant, Jay Jones, Joe Taylor, Sam Hopkins and Joe Ballard as their nominees for the Cherokee County Appraisal District board. Elections will not be held until sometime in December, with winners announced prior to the end of the month. Those elected will begin their term Jan. 1, 2022.
Commissioners authorized the extension of traffic rules applicable to Cherokee County roads to the privately maintained roads located in the Shady Brook Subdivision, as requested. The roads will continue to be privately maintained and do not become the responsibility of the county. The authorization simply allows law enforcement to enforce traffic codes within the subdivision.
Other items approved included:
—Laying of utility lines in Precinct 1 and 3;
—Monthly sheriff's report;
—Use of CARES Act funds for in-car computers and installation for the sheriff's department;
—Accepting a donation of dirt from Greg Duplichain upon his signing a release of liability;
—2022 Cherokee County holidays;
—2021 certified tax roll;
—The closure of CR 2225;
—Adoption of fiscal year TIDC formula grant program resolution;
—Intergovernmental contracts and mutual aid agreements with Cherokee County's Volunteer Fire Departments; and
—Consent agenda.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Cherokee County commissioners is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26.
