Baltimore Co. GOP chairman pushes for diversity
The Baltimore Sun's Raven L. Hill reports:
Tony Campbell, chairman of the Baltimore County Republican Central Committee, knows that he's an unlikely candidate to be pushing for more minority representation on the seven-member panel. Politically, that could result in the Democrat-heavy council adding another member to its ranks. But to Campbell, who is African American, the issue transcends partisanship.
During tonight's redistricting hearing, he said the growing minority population isn't adequately represented with only one African American among the seven council members.
And Campbell asked the redistricting commission to do something about it.
"It isn't going to change until you make it happen," he said.
The council-appointed commission held its final public hearing Thursday. The body will make non-binding recommendations based on new Census data to the council by July 1.
Norma Secoura, who ran for the House of Delegates last year, suggested that the commission explore adding two more districts to the council at some future point in the hopes of improving diversity. However, resident David Green said that creating more majority-minority districts might conflict with the goal of keeping districts compact and contiguous.
Commission chair Ed Crizer said the group will consider those concerns and others that emerged during the hearings, such as making Perry Hall and Reisterstown more compact.
"At this point, nothing's definite," Crizer said.
Categories: In The Counties, People
Comments
If this goes through it will of course accrue to the benefit of the Democrats, but I would expect nothing less from the former leader of "Republicans for Obama" in Maryland.
Posted by: R686ST | May 1, 2011 1:04 AM