Sussex County Council districts are being redrawn in an effort to equally distribute the population, which grew over 20% between 2010 and 2020.
State and county redistricting efforts happen every 10 years, following the U.S. census. New state legislative maps were finalized in November.
In Sussex, redistricting is an “impartial process” managed by the county’s legal staff, among others, according to county attorney J. Everett Moore. He introduced the first draft of a new county district map in a Dec. 14 presentation to the council.
Despite the map being nearly identical to the one proposed by the League of Women Voters of Sussex County, the League remains critical of the mapping process.
“The League is pleased with the approach Sussex County has taken,” said Jack Young, co-chair of the league’s Fair Maps Coalition. “We nonetheless believe that the best way to do redistricting is through independent redistricting commissions.”
[View a comparison of the current and proposed maps here.]
What this means for your representation
Sussex County’s population has grown from 197,145 residents in 2010 to 237,378 in 2020, according to county spokesman Chip Guy. That means each of the five council districts must be within 5% of 47,475 residents, Guy said.
Each of the districts would either shrink or grow if the draft is approved. Their placements would change significantly.
That’s of particular interest to the two council members whose terms end next year and who will have to run for reelection if they wish to keep their seats. The county is moving quickly to set new boundaries in time for the 2022 election cycle, Guy said.
The League of Women Voters’ Fair Maps Coalition takes issue with the fact that the other three council members will gain constituents who did not elect them, Young said. The group plans to take it up with the General Assembly, which requires all legislators to face reelection following redistricting.
In the draft redistricting map, District 1, occupied by longtime County Council President Michael Vincent, would shift south to occupy the southern corner of the county. Vincent would keep the Seaford area, gain Laurel and Delmar, and lose Bridgeville. He would also gain the unincorporated area east of Delmar, including Gumboro.
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Councilwoman Cynthia Green, in the midst of her first term after being elected in 2020, occupies District 2. In the draft redistricting map, her district would encompass the entire Kent County line. She would keep Greenwood and southern Milford, lose Georgetown and gain Bridgeville and Milton.
District 3 is occupied by Councilman Mark Schaeffer, who was also elected in 2020. He would keep Lewes, lose Ellendale and Milton, and gain Rehoboth Beach and the Angola and Long Neck areas in the draft redistricting map.
District 4’s Councilman Doug Hudson’s first term ends next year. The draft redistricting map would change his district from a narrow slice of land surrounding the inland bays, including Rehoboth Beach, Angola, Long Neck, Clarksville, Millville, Ocean View and Bethany Beach, and instead stretche south to the county line.
He would lose Rehoboth, Angola and Long Neck, keep the communities on the Route 26 corridor and gain Fenwick Island, Dagsboro and Selbyville.
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County Council Vice President John Rieley’s term is up in 2022, as well. He represents District 5, which stretches from corner to corner of the southern Delaware boundary. In the draft redistricting map, his district would move to center Sussex and would be the only district not to share a county boundary.
He would loses Laurel, Delmar, Gumboro, Dagsboro, Frankford, Selbyville, South Bethany Beach and Fenwick Island. He would keep Millsboro and gain Georgetown.
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District 5 is the only district that doesn’t need a population adjustment, according to Moore’s presentation, but its current form “lacks communities of common interest.”
Comments on the draft redistricting map are being accepted through Jan. 7, when Moore will report back to the council.
The final version is expected to be introduced as an ordinance by the council early next year and will be subject to a public hearing.
