County Redistricting Plan 2 up for third reading
Jerry E. Halmon, Staff Reporter
Bamberg County Council
members agreed to delay third
reading of Plan 2 of the
county’s redistricting plan
until January 3, at 6:00 p.m.
when hopefully all council
members can be present and
have an up or down vote.
Council members have already
had a first and second reading
on the new plan and on
Tuesday, night December 20,
at a special call meeting held a
public hearing that was
attended by only one person.
In discussing the third
reading of Plan 2
Councilmember the Rev.
Isaiah Odom noted that he
thought “in fairness” to
Councilmember Claire Guess
the final vote should be put off
until January when he (Guess)
could be present for the vote.
Council member Chris Wilson
noted that he thought tonight’s
meeting would be a “public
hearing only” until all
members could be present.
County Administrator Rose
Dobson-Elliott noted that the
final plan that will be
submitted to the Justice
Department for pre-clearance
will represent “what the
majority of council wants.”
Dobson-Elliott also noted
that the Benchmark Plan, Plan
1 and Plan 2 must be
submitted to the Justice
Department which has 60 days
to approve or reject the final
plan submitted by council.
At Tuesday night’s special
call meeting each
councilmember present took a
few minutes to give an
overview of the changes in his
or her district. Council
member Evert Comer Jr. who
represents District 6 said his
district under Plan 2 is “very
close” to what he had when he
came into office. The Rev.
Isaiah Odom said under Plan 2
his district now goes west of
on Highway 78 and north of
Highway 78 on the west side
of 321 on Palmetto Highway.
Larry Haynes, who represents
District 3 explained that the
major change in his district
was under Plan 1 he had both
sides of Orange Grove Road
and now under Plan 2 he has
only the left side of Orange
Grove Road to Hadwin Road
and Able Road. Haynes also
noted his district picked up
Crybaby Road which he did
not have before.
During the public
comments portion of the
meeting Bamberg County
resident Al Maynor, who is a
member of the Denmark-Olar
School District Two Board of
Trustees wanted to know if
District 7 was “expanding or
losing” population.
Administrator Rose Dobson-
Elliott informed Maynor that
what is “strange” about
District 7 is the “land mass.”
Dobson-Elliott noted that
under the new census numbers
District 7 had a population
gain of 105 and under Plan 2
only has a gain of 30.
Dobson-Elliott noted that
she wanted to submit the final
redistricting plan to the U.S.
Justice Department by January
10. The Justice Department
would then have 60 days to
review the plan. The county
administrator noted there is no
guarantee that the Justice
Department would give
pre-clearance to the county’s
plan. If Plan 2 is not approved
council members would have
to come up with Plan 4.
