Party leaders present their proposed maps for consideration
The chairmen of the Lake County Democratic and Republican parties agree on redistricting maps for the commissioners districts and disagree slightly on the council districts.
They presented their proposed redistricting maps Friday to the Lake County Redistricting Commission, which met to gather public comment about the proposed maps, but only a handful of county officials attended the meeting.
The Indiana Election Commission, which acts as the Lake County Redistricting Commission when drawing county maps, manages the process, though four area legislators attended the meeting as nonvoting advisers: State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary; State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell; State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary; and State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville.
Six proposed maps were submitted to the commission for consideration, said Indiana Election Division Co-Director J. Bradley King. Christopher Harris, the independent member of the Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission, submitted a commissioner map and council map, but didn’t attend the meeting so the commission did not discuss those maps.
Lake County Democratic Party Chairman James Wieser and Lake County Republican County Chairman Dan Dernulc both submitted separate commissioner redistricting maps, on behalf of their respective parties. But they told the commission they agree on the map Dernulc filed.
In the proposed commissioners map, all townships are kept whole except Calumet Township is split between all three commissioner districts. Under the proposed map, all incumbent commissioners remain in their districts.
Wieser said he talked with Democratic Party members and the Democratic commissioners and they all agreed on the proposed map.
“We join in with the Republican Party in agreement with this commissioners’ map. We believe it to be one that most accurately reflects the statutory requirements, especially protecting the communities of interest,” Wieser said.
Wieser and Dernulc submitted separate council maps on behalf of their respective parties. The Republican Party map, Dernulc
said, focused on keeping incumbents in their current districts and addressed the county’s population shift.
“I look at this as not rocket science. What we’re looking at is there was a change in population and there was shift to the south. It was a little bit of a challenge, but we were able to keep all of our incumbents (in their districts),” Dernulc said.
Wieser said that the Democratic Party map and the Republican Party council redistricting maps are “virtually identical” with just minor differences when it comes to the northern part of the county.
But, the bigger differences, Wieser said, come into play when looking at District 4, which Dernulc currently serves as councilman, and District 6.
The Democratic Party council map draws District 4 to mirror the newly drawn Senate map on the south side of the district, Wieser said. In drawing its map, Wieser said, the party looked at voting records in District 4 for previous gubernatorial and Congressional races when drawing the district.
“The reason we felt so strongly about District 4, when we got done with our
numbers the district would reflect a difference of 47% and 48%. That’s about as close as we can come. That really reflect the viewpoint that this is a competitive district,” Wieser said.
In District 6, the Republican Party proposed map incorporates Winfield Township into that district, Wieser said. The Democratic Party map proposes that District 6 extends into Crown Point, he said.
“We didn’t feel that fit with the concept of bring a community of interest together,” Wieser said. “Winfield Township, admittedly, is significantly growing. It’s been part of the 7th District as long as I can remember.”
Niemeyer said while Winfield Township has been historically in the 7th District, so has Center Township.
“Drawing that distinction that other area has been apart of (the 7th District) so has other areas,” Niemeyer said. “Crown Point was divided because of the Ross Township line.”
Wieser said he agrees with that, but Crown Point makes more sense in District 6 because it keeps communities of interest together.
But, Wieser and Dernulc both told the commission the will meet in the coming days to resolve the council map differences.
“We are trying to work together, and I think we’ve done quite well,” Dernulc said.
Commissioner Karen Celestino-Horseman said she was pleased that the local parties are working together on the maps because that means the commission doesn’t have to make the final decision.
“I don’t think either one of you would be happy with that,” Celestino-Horeseman said.
Smith said he was surprised that members of the public did not attend or address the proposed maps.
“I thought it would be a little more controversial,” Smith said. “I’m glad we’re working together.”
The commission will vote on the maps Dec. 17.