On Wednesday Milwaukee County Supervisor Joe Rice filed a motion in court seeking an injunction to stop the County Board from giving final approval to a redistricting plan that eliminates Rice’s North Shore district.
In seeking the injunction, Rice has alleged the County Board violated the state open meetings law by failing to give adequate notice it would consider a preliminary redistricting plan on April 21.
As I’ve written here before, I’ve never understood the logic behind the redistricting plan approved by the board, a plan that would reduce the size of the board by just one seat. Given the nature of the County Board as a deliberative and voting body, it doesn’t make much sense to reduce the number of supervisors to an even number, and personally think it makes much more sense to reduce the County Board by two seats. Coincidentally, two current supervisors – Lynne De Bruin and Lee Holloway – are retiring after their current terms expire, so it would seem to make sense (perhaps too much sense for some elected officials) to use that opportunity to eliminate those two districts by merging their constituents into other districts.
It’s no secret the redistricting plan approved by the board is a blatant attempt to redistrict Joe Rice, who happens to be more conservative, right out of office in order to weaken the conservative bloc on the County Board while alternately strengthening the more liberal bloc of supervisors led by Marina Dimitrijevic in advance of her expected run for Chair of the County Board next year.
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