City Commission Districts to be Redrawn by April

Voters within the city limits could have for city commission elections as soon as April.

On Monday, City Attorney Robert Fournier made a presentation to commissioners about the need to redistrict.

“We have a situation now where we are going to be forced to redraw the district boundary lines,” Fournier said. The most populated district and least can not have a percentage point spread that exceeds 10 percent.”

District 1, the city’s least populous district, and District 3, the city’s most populous district, have a 13.1 percent spread.

Fournier told commissioners that if they act quickly, it could save the city a lot of money.

The Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections, Kathy Dent, would like to get out voter ID cards by the candidate qualifying period. To do that, Fournier said, the city would need to redraw its boundaries by April 1, 2012.

Commissioner Shannon Snyder said getting redistricting done before April would be helpful for the board of county commissioners because that is when they begin their process. 

Snyder added that the city should not be reactionary with its lines. With Sarasota “grown out” he said the city should draw the lines not just to fix the spread but plan for 10 years out.

Early next year Fournier and city staff are going to bring back redistricting suggestions to the commission.