Anderson City Council again delays action on new district maps

May 9—ANDERSON — For the second month on the advice of its contracted law firm, the City Council declined to consider a redistricting ordinance.

Last year, Common Cause Indiana, the League of Women Voters of Indiana and the local NAACP filed a federal lawsuit alleging the six single-member council districts violated federal law based on the one-person, one-vote requirement of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

Council President Lance Stephenson said Thursday the Chicago law firm of Henderson Parks recommended the hiring of a third-party consultant to review the redistricting maps drawn by council members Ollie H. Dixon, Greg Graham and Joe Newman.

Dixon said the City Council is responsible for redistricting.

"What's recommended to us could be turned down by the judge," he said. "The General Assembly set the rules, and no one else has the right to come into the city and draw maps."

Dixon said the 4th District, which he represents, has been targeted and that nothing has been done by city administrations to upgrade the district.

"You can't take their representation," he said of the seat on the council that represents an area where many Black residents live.

Stephenson said all the council members are in general agreement and want to resolve the federal lawsuit.

"You created the maps," Stephenson said. "The Chicago law firm wants a third party to validate the maps and present it to the judge."

He said the assumption is the law firm will pay for the consultant.

Council attorney Rosemary Khoury said the Chicago law firm advised the council to engage an expert and for the council to provide the proposed maps to the consultant.

Khoury said if the council wants to further discuss the lawsuit it should be done in an executive session.

"I will speak for my district," Dixon said.

He said the legislature gave the City Council until July 1, 2025, to redraw the district maps and said that the lawsuit is moot.

Graham said the council all along has said the redistricted maps would protect a district that includes a high percentage of Black residents.

The new map would have shifted some precincts from the heavily populated 3th District, represented by Graham, to the 4th District, represented by Dixon, and Newman's 6th District.

The groups that brought the lawsuit have requested that the court invalidate the 2023 election results and conduct a special election for the 6th District seats on the City Council.

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