The week of the 25th of January the Montgomery County Council advanced their plans for redistricting when they appointed 11 members to serve on the redistricting commission for the County Council districts.
The redistricting commission comes amidst the voter’s decisions to add two additional seats to the county council in 2022. The commission’s public meeting and hearing schedule are still to be determined.
From the Montgomery County Council Press Release:
The Charter requires that the Council appoint a Commission on Redistricting composed of 11 registered voters who reside in the County. The Commission must include at least one, but no more than four, members of each political party, which polled at least 15 percent of the total vote cast for all candidates for the Council in the last preceding regular election. As a result of the 2018 General Election, there are two parties recognized by the State of Maryland: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. At least one member of the Commission must reside in each Council district. The commission shall, at its first meeting, select one of its members to serve as its chair. No person who holds any elected office shall be eligible for appointment to the Commission.
The Commission is required to present a plan of Council districts by November 15, 2021, together with a report explaining the plan to the Council. However, the Council will work with the Commission to expedite the completion of its work to allow for early notice of the new districts for potential candidates.
Within 30 days after receiving the plan, the Council will hold a public hearing on the report plan. If within 90 days after presentation of the Commission’s plan no other law reestablishing the boundaries of the Council districts has been enacted, then the plan, as submitted, becomes law.
The Council selected the following community members to serve on the Commission on Redistricting: Imad Aldean Ahmad, Laura Ard, Mariana Cordier, Keshia Desir, Arthur Edmunds, Valerie Ervin, Bruce Goldensohn, Jason Makstein, Nilmini Rubin, Samuel Statland and David Stein.
The Council selected Arthur Edmunds to serve as interim chair and Mariana Cordier to serve as interim vice chair of the commission until the group votes to select a permanent chair and vice chair.
For more information visit the Montgomery County Council’s Website.