Bryan entities, Brazos County open redistricting talks

Maggie Kiely
The Eagle
August 31, 2010

Every 10 years Americans can be certain of two things: the U.S. Census Bureau will count the country's population down to the tiniest of towns and redistricting then will redraw electoral boundaries.

The first round unfolded Monday when the Brazos County Commissioners Court met with the Bryan City Council and Bryan School Board to discuss the upcoming redistricting process with consultants from Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta law firm.

Redistricting unfolds after census results are released to make voting lines as close to equal as possible in terms of population.

David Méndez, an attorney with the firm based out of Austin, said he and his staff are just starting to look at the numbers, and that changes made to the current lines won't take effect until the 2012 primary election.

"What we're trying to do with redistricting is redraw the lines so we have roughly the same number of people within each district," he said.

All three entities at the meeting likely will have to move their voter lines somewhat in order to strike a balance, Méndez said. In 2000, the population was 152,145 in Brazos County, and the estimated population in 2009 was 176,779, a 16 percent increase.

The process includes setting a target number of people per district, and working to make that amount equal within each voting area, Méndez said. Other considerations, such as taking into account the number of minorities within each district, have to be addressed as well, he said.

Using previous target numbers and projected target numbers, the consultants determined there were population disparities within county precincts, as well as city and school board single-member districts.

Méndez said he will interview each elected official to collect details about their districts, and receive comments or recommendations. His staff will take those interviews, as well as projected census data, and formulate comparable districts.

Several public forums will be called throughout the process -- which is expected to take about two years --before any decisions are made, officials said.