Unanimous vote approves Marion County redistricting map

It’s a wrap!

In less than seven weeks, the Marion County Commission unanimously approved a map identifying the five new Marion County districts at a special meeting Thursday.

Prior to the vote, commissioner Randy Dallke (District 3) reviewed the map saying com­mission chairwoman Dianne Novak (District 2) had much of the north end, and he had most of the south end of the county.

Dallke said: “It’s just the way it is.”

With the end in sight, Novak said she burned a lot of the midnight oil, along with pens, paper and brain power.

Dallke said he agreed and added a lot of hours, too.

“I am not going to doubt your word a bit that you spent that much time on it,” he said.

Commissioner Kent Becker (District 1) asked if there were any questions from the Hillsboro-side that Novak talked to in his district.

“There will be two different commissioners representing Hillsboro now,” Becker said.

Anthony Roy, economic development director for Hillsboro, said he believed city officials could live with the new redistricting map.

“The only part that we couldn’t wrap our heads around was Liberty not being a part of District 1.

Dallke alluded to the fact that nothing is cut in stone, and the map is changeable in four years.

Although the commission approved the redistricting map referred to as the “New Marion County Districts,” it won’t become final until a resolution is signed at its final meeting of the year Dec. 31.

The commission also voted 2-1 in favor of a special election in November. Novak was the dissenting vote saying she would have preferred a March special election.

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