County Redistricting Means Status Quo for Oak Creek

The controversial Milwaukee County redistricting plan, approved Thursday by the Board of Supervisors, would have little impact on Oak Creek.

The bulk of the city would continue to be represented by Paul Cesarz. Supervisor Pat Jursik would still represent a small portion of Oak Creek along Highway 32 and just west of South Milwaukee. 

County supervisors approved the plan on a 13-6 vote. Cesarz and Jursik voted against the proposal.

The plan would downsize the county board by one, to 18 members, and eliminate the district of Supervisor Joseph Rice. It still needs the signature of County Executive Chris Abele, who has not said whether he will veto it.

The proposal has come under fire from many suburban leaders, including Oak Creek Mayor Dick Bolender, who argued the plan needed more public input, had a negative impact on minorities and should have trimmed the county board even further. Rice, who represents part of the North Shore, has filed a lawsuit trying to prevent the plan from implementation.

Proponents argued many of those issues were addressed - several public hearings were held and a second Hispanic-majority district was added.