Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Farmington City Council Amends Ward Boundaries
Adjustments Made To Follow Census Block Lines
FARMINGTON — Farmington's Ward 3 has gone from the zone with the smallest population to now the election ward with the largest population.
The City Council recently amended the boundaries for the city's four wards to bring population totals in line with the 2010 census. The ordinance for the new districts was effective immediately.
Ward 3 has gone from a population of 1,259 to a population total of 1,539. It includes the northwest corner of the city. Most of Ward 3 is north of Rheas Mill Road, except for a peninsula shaped area that is surrounded by Ward 2.
Jeff Hawkins, director of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission, said his office has redrawn ward boundaries for almost all cities in northwest Arkansas because of the 2010 census.
When redistricting wards, the commission tries to follow census block lines, major roads and creeks.
“We obviously try to equalize the population as much as possible so the wards don't deviate more than 10 percent,” Hawkins said Thursday. “We try to keep neighborhoods whole if we can and if there's a way to do it without gerrymandering, we try to keep aldermen in their current wards.”
The regional planning commission's first two proposals for Farmington placed three incumbent aldermen in one ward, leaving only one alderman in another ward. The council asked Hawkins to tweak the boundaries so two incumbents would be in each ward.
With the approved boundaries, two aldermen now are in different wards. Bobby Morgan moved from Ward 3 to Ward 4 and Shelly Parsley moved from Ward 4 to Ward 3.
Friday, Morgan said he does not think it matters that he is in a different ward. He has only received a few phone calls or emails from people in his ward.
“I try to represent the whole city, not just one ward,” Morgan said. “To be honest, I don't think it will make any difference.”
All city council positions will be up for election on the Nov. 6 general election ballot.