The Salisbury City Council invites members of the public to participate in a public hearing to be held Thursday, May 29, 2014 to obtain public input on a proposed amendment of the City’s election districts. The proposal would increase the current two (2) districts to five (5) districts with each district electing one (1) Council member.
Voting districts are considered following the release of population and demographic figures from each U.S. Census, the last being held in 2010. Districts are drawn in compliance with section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. In drawing district lines, the City must consider a number of factors, such as compactness, contiguity, respect for “communities of interest” and others. The current two-district system began as result of a consent order issued by the U.S. District Court in 1987. It was later modified when the City Council approved Charter Resolution No. 2170 on June 11, 2012. That Resolution
- eliminated staggered elections in the City of Salisbury such that in November 2015 all five (5) Councilmembers and the Mayor shall be elected at the same time to serve four-year terms
- provided for the election of the Mayor for a term to run until November 2015
- enlarged Election District 1 and provided for the election of one (1) Councilmember from that district for a term to run until November 2015
- reduced Election District 2 and provided for the election of one (1) councilmember from that district for a term to run until November 2015
- provided that as of the General Election of November 2015 District 1 shall be further increased in area and District 2 shall be further decreased in area such that two (2) Councilmembers shall
be elected from District 1 and three (3) Councilmembers shall be elected from District 2
The City Council invites public input and any suggestions or plans they may have before deliberating on the final district lines to be drawn.
The Public Hearing will be held at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers of the Government Office Building, located at 125 N. Division St., Salisbury, MD. Input and questions may also be directed to the entire Council via email to AllCityCouncilMembers@citylivingsalisbury.com or by calling the Office of the City Clerk at (410) 548-3140.
