On Saturday Dec. 4, the Columbus Redistricting Commission (aka the Districting Commission) approved a map to be sent to both City Council and the School Board for their approval. The vote was 15-1, with Katie Bishop voting against the map.

Out of the scenarios crafted by members of the commission, the board approved Scenario J, which protects incumbents and makes the following shifts of land:

• District 1 (represented by Pops Barnes on Council and Patricia Hugley-Green on the Board) gains a tiny portion of East Inglewood neighborhood from District 4, as well a a portion of the Crystal Valley neighborhood from District 5
• District 2 (represented by Glenn Davis on Council and Nickie Tillery on Board) gains the remaining portion of land around the I-75-SR 96 interchange and a portion of land along Whittlessey Blvd and Whitesville Rd from District 8
• District 3 (represented by Bruce Huff on Council and Vanessa Jackson on Board) gains land near 17th Street, Cherokee Avenue and Forest Avenue from District 8, splitting Weracoba Park with District 7
• District 5 (represented by Charmaine Crabb on Council and Laurie McRae on Board) gains land along the border of Flat Rock Park from District 6
• District 7 (represented by Mimi Woodson on Council and Cathy Williams on Board) gains Warm Springs Road and Lakebottom Park from District 8 as well as a small section of Wynnton Road from District 3
• District 8 (represented by Walker Garrett on Council and Dr. Philip Schley on Board) gains more of Hilton Heights, all of Britt David Park, a portion north of Miller Rd and of Columbus Metropolitan Airport, and a portion south of Weems Rd from District 5, and gains all of the Britt David neighborhood, more of Weems Rd, and land south of the Columbus Park Crossing area from District 2

Districts 4 (represented by Toyia Tucker on Council and Naomi Buckner on Board) and 6 (represented by Gary Allen on Council and Mark Cantrell on Board) do not experience any expansions of land under this map. Besides intentionally protecting incumbents from being drawn out of their districts and making largely cosmetic changes to protect their chances of being re-elected, the map also shifts land out of Districts 2, 4 and 6 due to these districts being overpopulated.

Bishop, the lone vote against the map, said that the racial makeup of the new District 8 moved her against the proposal. The ethnic makeup of the district changed over the decade, with more African-American residents moving in than Euro-American residents moving out. The new map would pare down this shift.

Theresa El-Amin of the Southern Anti-Racism Network also spoke against some members’ comments in support of protecting incumbency for current members of both the Council and School Board. Mary Sue Polleys, a member of the commission appointed by Council from District 8, stated in a previous meeting that redrawing members out of their districts could be seen as politically-motivated. State guidelines argue against drawing current members out of their districts.

The map was introduced to Council at its Dec. 7 meeting, and will hold a first reading vote on the map on Dec. 14. The map must also be assessed by the General Assembly’s Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment Office. If the map does not get final approval from Council within six months of the redistricting commission’s submission to the Council, the new map goes into effect. No date has been set for a first vote on the map in the School Board, which meets next on Dec. 13.

The map is likely to not be approved in time for council and school board elections in May 2022 unless the date for the primary and municipal elections are pushed to a later date by the General Assembly.