Tuscaloosa City Council To Hold Second Redistricting Public Meeting Next Week

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The City of Tuscaloosa will hold its second public meeting regarding the council districting process next week on Monday, Feb. 14, in an effort to allow for additional community feedback.

Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts.

Council President Kip Tyner said on Tuesday during the pre-meeting agenda briefing that this meeting would be held at 5 p.m., as opposed to the first one being held on the morning of Feb. 2, to allow for others to come speak who may have missed out on the first opportunity.

Tyner was also joined by District 6 Councilor John Faile in asking attendees who have already spoken to city officials multiple times to let the next meeting be a chance for others who haven't.

“I'm all about people coming to talk at this thing," Faile said. "But if you’ve already come and spoken your piece, we appreciate you letting new people come and speak.

"When we have public hearings," Tyner added, "The reason we have time limits, a lot is if you’ve got a neighborhood, I like the people designate one speaker than ten people getting up and saying the same thing over and over."

As Patch previously reported, the Tuscaloosa City Council on Jan. 12 tabled a vote on the proposed maps, with the goal of allowing more time and opportunity to gather public input.

At present, there are two maps being considered by the city, apart from the one designed by independent community members and presented to city officials during the public meeting last week.

In January, Tyner pointed out that five of the city's seven council districts would be exactly the same with both maps. One map, if approved, would see certain historic neighborhoods kept in District 1, while the alternative would put them back in District 4.

Click here to view the current proposals by the City of Tuscaloosa.

Several groups, including Tuscaloosa Action, the NAACP and Southern Christian Leadership Conference, have been vocal in their calls for city officials to reconsider the district maps.

As part of the effort to lobby the city's lawmakers and garner public support for the cause, the advocacy groups are also promoting a petition that had gained 119 signatures as of Tuesday morning.

Click here to see the community-drawn map sponsored by Tuscaloosa Action.

Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com