Public hearings scheduled on new districts
By Melinda Harrell
Published in News on August 21, 2017 5:50 AM
Dixon
The new maps released by the N.C. House Saturday are propositions subject to public comment, approval by the redistricting committee and the entire General Assembly and to the judgment of courts, said Rep. Jimmy Dixon, R-Dist. 4.
Statewide, the proposed maps - should they pass - have two districts that would pit Republicans against each other, potentially flip two GOP districts to Democratic and four districts would be left without an incumbent at all.
Locally, Wayne County would have only two representatives in the House instead of the current, which is three.
The representative Wayne County would lose is Dixon.
Representing Wayne County since 2010, Dixon's district will be Duplin County, which is where he resides, and a portion of Onslow County.
Wayne County would be represented by District 10 legislator, Republican Rep. John Bell, and District 21 Rep. Larry Bell, a Democrat who will not be running for re-election.
Dixon, a conservative Republican representing large swaths of Wayne County, became an outspoken advocate for military and agricultural issues - supporting the wind moratorium bill that calls for a study on the effects of wind farms on military installations and bills that were pro-hog farm including the recently passed nuisance bill.
"These new maps, if they are approved and adopted, Wayne County remains well positioned to be represented in the General Assembly," Dixon said.
"No matter which district I am elected from, Wayne County and eastern North Carolina as a whole will never lose the benefit of representation of Jimmy Dixon as long as I serve in the General Assembly."
John Bell, who under the current map, serves portions of Craven, Greene and Wayne counties will lose much of his district. The new maps took Craven County out of District 10 all together.
John Bell's district would encompass all of Greene County, most of Wayne County and add a portion of Johnston County.
"I lost half of the district I currently serve," Bell said after the maps were released Saturday.
"I have enjoyed representing those folks and working with those people in the county. I am the only House member that represents all of Greene County, compared to years past they have had two. I also have more of Wayne County."
District 21 will also include more of Wayne County and none of Duplin County under the new map proposal. Under the current district mapping, District 21 took in portions of Duplin, Wayne and Sampson counties.
The District 21 seat will be vacant come the 2018 election.
Dixon and John Bell both serve on the redistricting committee, Dixon said, and the process of deciding the map were based various criteria and objectives.
Dixon said the committee sought to keep as many counties and precincts whole.
"The main thrust of that criteria - do not divide anything county, precinct or voter registration more than you have to, to achieve the numerical number of folks," Dixon said.
"There were several of the criteria, all passed by a majority, it had to pass by majority vote. There was three criteria that were nonpartisan. The most controversial criteria that we considered, adopted and use is that race would not be a factor in how we drew these maps."
There will be a public hearing on the maps throughout the state Tuesday.
"We are very interested in getting the public's input," John Bell said.
"We have made great strides in getting public comment."
John Bell will be chairing the public hearing at Halifax Community College (building 100, room 105), 100 College Road, on Tuesday.
Dixon will be at the Raleigh hearing at the legislative building.
Other sites around the state include:
*Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte (Hall Building, rooms 215/216), 1112 Charlottetowne Ave., Charlotte.
*Fayetteville Technical Community College, 2817 Fort Bragg Road (general classroom building, room 108)
*Caldwell Community College, 2855 Hickory Blvd. (Building B, room 104), Hudson.
*Guilford Technical Community College, Jamestown campus, 601 E. Main St. Medline (Campus Center, room 360), Jamestown.
Speakers will have up to three minutes to make a comment. Registration for speaking will begin at 3 p.m. at each hearing site, and will close at 6:30 p.m.
For people unable to make the public hearings in person, they can go to http://www.ncleg.net/applications/rfc/Redistricting.aspx?id=23 and submit a public comment on the new map proposal.