In light of new population statistics from the 2010 U.S. Census, the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners has authorized the formation of a committee responsible for overseeing the voter redistricting process at the local level.

The committee, modeled closely after a committee established by the board in 2002 after the 2000 census was taken, will consist of nine members, of which five will be appointed by the commissioners, one will be appointed by the Calvert County Democratic Central Committee, one by the Republican Central Committee, one by the League of Women Voters of Calvert County and one by the NAACP Calvert County branch.

Already prepared to make their appointments, Commissioners’ President Susan Shaw (R) appointed Patricia Parker, Vice President Pat Nutter (R) appointed Judith MacWilliams, Commissioner Evan Slaughenhoupt (R) appointed Gregory Kernan, Commissioner Steve Weems (R) appointed Ron Miller and Commissioner Gerald W. “Jerry” Clark (R) appointed Roxanne Cumberland.

Once formed, the committee will analyze the most recent census data and report its recommendations for redistricting back to the board. Kathy O’Brien of Calvert County Technology Services will provide the current district boundaries mapped with 2010 census data, and a member of the Calvert County Board of Elections will oversee the committee.

While the 2002 committee consisted of two fewer members, Clark made the motion to bring LWV and NAACP on board with the process.

“It would probably serve a very good purpose to put them on there,” he said of LWV because of the group’s nonpartisan approach to presenting the public with information.

Shaw added that the NAACP is “also very involved in election awareness, putting on election forums, getting the word out those kinds of things.”

In a general concensus, the commissioners agreed some sort of redistricting process might be necessary to help ease the burden of confusion among voters who become disgruntled when they see that the candidates with the highest number of votes don’t always get a seat on the board. The district numbers may even increase from three to five, they suggested.

“There is a tremendous amount of confusion out there every time we have an election for the board of county commissioners as far as who the at-large candidates are” and who the top vote-getters were versus who actually won, Clark said. However, he added that while adding more districts might “clean it up a little,” it might not fully eliminate the confusion problem.

“I feel like the process is broken,” Shaw said, adding that she often has to explain the complex voting process to citizens. “And when the election occurs and the top five vote-getters do not get elected, the public is angry.”

Slaughenhoupt said he understands that people might question the politics of the new redistricting committee created by five Republican commissioners.

“It could really easily become too partisan,” he said. “I think we’ve taken a much more mature approach.”

As the last committee did, Shaw anticipates this new committee will stay connected to the public throughout its analysis, attending the county fair and various civic organization meetings and conducting a survey seeking citizen input.

In other business, the commissioners:

ź Recognized Katherine King of Calvert High School and Dallin Hilton of Huntingtown High School as this year’s Calvert County Employee Recognition Committee Scholarship winners, receiving $1,000 and $500, respectively;

ź Unanimously approved a budget adjustment in light of better-than-anticipated fiscal 2011 income tax revenues, to allow for: $1.2 million in volunteer Fire/Rescue/EMS apparatus purchases; an increase in the health insurance reserve account by $305,000; and $300,000 in funding for the Calvert Middle School redevelopment project;

ź Unanimously awarded a one-year contract in the amount of $15,864 to Tilmark Janitorial Services of Upper Marlboro for all labor, material, supervision and equipment necessary to furnish custodial services at the Mount Hope Convenience Center in Sunderland;

ź Unanimously awarded a $57,612 contract to CMI General Contractors Inc. of Charlotte Hall for all labor, material, supervision and equipment necessary to design and construct a pre-engineered addition for an existing pre-engineered equipment maintenance shed at the Appeal Landfill;

ź Unanimously approved the submittal of the fiscal 2012 Program Open Space Annual Program to the Department of Natural Resources and the Maryland Department of Planning.

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