Gwinnett leaders say they feel rushed by Democratic state lawmakers to deliver proposed commission district lines that will be used for the next 10 years, following a GOP attempt a few weeks ago to double the size of the county commission.
Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution during a Tuesday meeting calling for an open, fair and transparent redistricting process. Shortly after, they huddled at a conference table to set up an action plan to appease eager legislators.
Legislators have been told that Gov. Brian Kemp wants all local redistricting maps to arrive on his desk for a signature before qualifying for elections begins in March, said Joel Wiggins, the county’s lobbyist, setting a fire under the feet of commissioners, and lawmakers, to expedite the process.
“This is a bunch of crap,” said Commissioner Jasper Watkins in reference to the delay of crafting a new map. “I’m getting so sick and tired of not knowing... What do we have? What can we do? And why can’t we do it?”
The county plans to instruct staff to prepare a few draft maps to present at a joint Monday meeting with Gwinnett state representatives and state senators. Informational town hall meetings may be moved up, given the sense of urgency expressed by legislators, one of whom will carry the map for a vote.
“The state Legislature has really forced us to act sooner than we expected and sooner than I think we really need to,” Commissioner Kirkland Carden told the AJC. “... Them rushing this through undermines the public engagement process that we worked months to create for Gwinnettians.”
Carden declined to share which state lawmakers pressured commissioners to act faster. He added that he’s hearing talks of expanding the size of the commission from both Democrats and Republicans.
State Rep. Sam Park, a Lawrenceville Democrat who serves as chair of the Gwinnett House Delegation, said his colleagues want to ensure they have time to analyze new maps and solicit public feedback before they go up for a vote.
“I fought tooth and nail to try and provide our duly elected county commissioners an opportunity to draw their maps,” Park said. “But when all is said and done, my objectives remain the same, which is a fair process, which requires transparency and an opportunity for public comment.”
State Sen. Clint Dixon, R-Gwinnett, introduced a bill during the Legislature’s November special session that would have increased the board from four district commissioners to nine. It also would have stripped the commission chair’s powers except to break ties.
Dixon walked back the bill — along with a separate bill that would have made Gwinnett County Board of Education members run in nonpartisan elections — amid scrutiny from Democrats, activists and county officials blindsided by the proposal.
Dixon told the AJC on Friday that he’s unsure whether he’ll push to expand the commission during the regular session beginning Jan. 10. If so, he said it’ll likely be by fewer seats than originally proposed.
“(Democrats) thought all that should be handled by the Board of Commissioners and that it was rushed what I did,” Dixon said. “Now, they’re rushing the commissioners. I’m a bit surprised by that.”
Democrats say they want to respect the commission’s wishes and not add more seats. But they worry that Republicans may reject the proposed map and push again for expansion.
“Not only do we feel like we’re racing a clock, but we also feel partly like we’re having to race against our own colleagues who have shown they are willing to go above and beyond the rules to try to get something accomplished in their favor,” said state Rep. Jasmine Clark, D-Lilburn, referring to Dixon’s surprise maneuver.
A compromise may have to be met with Republicans, Park said, including adding more seats to the county commission. Clark said she’s unaware of current plans by Democrats to expand the board, but they plan to be strategic to appease Republicans if they seek to do so.
State Rep. Pedro Marin, D-Duluth, tried to add two seats to the board in 2017. He said he wanted to pave the way for a more representative county commission, at a time when white Republicans served as the top elected officials in the most diverse county in the state.
Now, the board consists of four Black members and one Asian member.
“I don’t know if that argument is still as potent as it once was just a few years ago,” Carden told the AJC in reference to the board’s newfound diversity. “I think that idea has outlived its usefulness.”
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