County re-draws commissioner districts

Washtenaw County District 3, currently represented by Shannon Beeman of Manchester, will remain essentially unchanged following a reapportionment of the County Commission completed November 8.

On Nov. 8, the Washtenaw County Apportionment Commission adopted a new electoral map for board of commissioners’ districts, completing a process that began last summer.

An apportionment committee, which included Washtenaw County Clerk and Register of Deeds Lawrence Kestenbaum, Treasurer Catherine McClary, Prosecutor Eli Savit, Chair of the Washtenaw County Republican Party David Frey, and Democratic Party Chair Chris Savage, heard public comments at a number of speaking sessions whee residents could provide feedback on the proposed districts. Proposals ranged from keeping the status quo of nine commission districts, to a total of 18 districts, with several variations in between.

Ultimately, the November 8 decision by the committee, taking into account the extensive public feedback from across the county, received over a series of zoom meetings, was to retain the status quo of nine commission districts. The board will stay at nine seats, with slight adjustments to accommodate an 8% growth in the county’s population since 2010. The maps leave the Manchester area’s current District 3, represented by Shannon Beeman, relatively intact. District 3 covers all of Bridgewater, Freedom, Manchester, and Sharon Townships, the Village of Manchester, along with the Cities of Saline and Milan, and Lodi, Saline, and York Townships. The adjusted map, which makes minor adaptations to districts in the City of Ann Arbor, will take effect from 2022 through 2032.

“There were many public speaking sessions held where residents could provide their feedback on the districts,” Beeman explained. “The committee voted on the final maps, which will now go to the state. The changes are made every 10 years based on population changes based on new census data. There also was reworking done to create a central district for Ann Arbor as well as balancing the eastern side of the county a bit more.”

Beeman noted that while adding more commissioners to the board could have added more voices, those voices must be equally divided, based on population. “If you cut deeply into District 3 to divide it into additional/separate districts, you must also carve up Ann Arbor who will get another seat at the table,” she said. “District 3 has a lot of land because it is comprised of rural townships, but these have a slim population when compared to areas like Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti.”

Beeman added, “I am pleased with the opportunities residents had for participation in the process. Though sessions were held online, there were voices from District 3 — including Bridgewater — involved in the meetings I was able to attend. While residents may be disappointed that greater changes were not made to the map, the nine-member board has been able to make balanced decisions and listen to the rural commissioners on issues that matter to our residents — including full board support on broadband infrastructure for all of Washtenaw County.”

Beeman was first elected in 2018 as Washtenaw County Commissioner for District 3, and re-elected in 2020. She says she was not very involved in the reapportionment process, “as I felt it was not my place to redraw my district.” But ultimately, she is pleased that District 3 has remained essentially the same, allowing her to continue to represent the residents with whom she has become familiar over the past three years.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.