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The Republican Hillsborough County commissioners last week used their new majority on the county board to start a move toward a new districting plan that could give them a long-term advantage in commissioner races — a board consisting solely of nine geographically based districts.
Under the proposal by Commissioner Mike Owen, a referendum on the plan would be held on the day of the 2024 presidential primary March 19 — an election likely to draw a large Republican turnout for the contested GOP primary, and small Democratic and no-party turnouts.
If such a plan were adopted, some Democrats say, the current 4-3 Republican majority would control the process of mapping the new districts and could take advantage of the concentration of Democratic voters in the city of Tampa to draw districts that would cement the GOP board majority. They could do so crafting boundaries that concentrate Democratic leaning city of Tampa voters in fewer districts.
Owen said he wants to move “as quickly as possible” and hopes the new districts could be drawn in time for the 2024 election.
The commissioners voted 5-2, with Democrat Gwen Myers joining Republicans Donna Cameron Cepeda, Ken Hagan, Josh Wostal and Owen, to ask the county staff and Elections Supervisor Craig Latimer to study the costs and feasibility of holding a special election and enacting the plan for 2024. At Myers’ request, they included the option of a seven single-member district plan also.
Democrats Pat Kemp and Harry Cohen voted no.
The board currently includes four district representing portions of the county and three countywide members. It would require a 5-2 vote to put the proposal on a referendum ballot.
Owen made clear he wants to rush the idea, initially asking the staff to report by the next commissioner’s meeting Aug. 2. He agreed to delay until the next meeting after County Attorney Mary Helen Farris said that wouldn’t allow enough time to gather the necessary information.
Owen and the other Republicans denied their intent was partisan, saying the county has become too large — more than 1.5 million people, or roughly double the size of a congressional district — for district or countywide commissioners to stay in touch with their constituents.
They noted that other large counties, notably Broward, have larger boards and more district representatives.
The proposal is “about getting people the most local and close-to-their back yard representation,” said Wostal.
But Kemp said the current plan allows voters to express their opinions by voting on four commissioners — a majority — whereas they could vote only on one under such a plan. Nine commissioners instead of seven, she added, would increase the cost of government.
Under the proposal, said Cohen, there would be “no elected official on the county board who’s thinking about the county as a whole.”
Cohen was emphatic in opposition during the meeting, saying he was “astonished at the scope of what’s being suggested here,” and calling the idea of holding a referendum on the presidential primary election day “insane.”
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“We know that we’re not going to have a representative sample of voters” March 19, he said.
No-party and minor party voters won’t be eligible to vote in the presidential primaries, he noted later, although they could vote in a referendum held at the same time.
Kemp said she expects districts drawn by the current board would be “gerrymandered to support a Republican majority for a long time to come … It’s totally a Republican power grab.”
She acknowledged that other large counties have larger boards with all district representatives but said those counties also have elected county mayors.
The idea has been proposed before, including by Democrats who have said it would increase minority representation on the board.
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