City redistricting looks to stay with 7-member Council

City voting districts may be getting new boundary lines but the Greencastle City Council will apparently retain its seven-seat format.

Passage of Ordinance 2022-16 on first reading at the Council’s November meeting is the initial step in that process. Second reading and adoption of the ordinance is set for the Council’s December session at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8.

Significant growth in two districts made it necessary to make changes to the city voting districts in order to equalize voter population in all districts.

“The map is very similar to the previous districts,” Mayor Bill Dory observed.

Councilor Veronica Pejril made the motion to approve the ordinance on first reading, complete with retaining its seven-member (three at-large councilors) format. Council President Mark Hammer seconded.

However, before a vote could be taken, Fourth Ward Councilman Cody Eckert suggested an amendment that would cut the at-large members from three to one, restoring the old five-member Council that existed prior to 2015.

Because the 2020 Census puts the city population at fewer than 10,000, Greencastle is a third-class city again and could return to a five-member Council.

Eckert said his motion was “just for the sake of an easy way to save money,” which he calculated as a $150,000 savings over 10 years.

“I just want to say for once in my life I voted to shrink government,” Eckert added, noting that a smaller Council could also free up manpower for boards and commissions.

Pejril went on the record saying she finds Eckert’s argument a valid one, noting she had “been on the fence about this.”

Hammer seconded Eckert’s motion so discussion could ensue.

At-large Councilman Dave Murray was in favor of staying with seven members, noting “two more voices in all of this is important to me.”

Murray added, “It’ll be right back to seven when housing picks up anyway.”

Meanwhile, Councilman Adam Cohen suggested that “three at-large (members) give us more opportunity for people to step up.”

Eckert cited the vacancies on the ballot when several Republican candidates ran unopposed.

Councilor Darrel Thomas was quick to respond to that.

“It’s not an interest question, it’s an affiliation question,” Thomas said, noting the issue “showed itself again” at the recent county election in which all major county offices had only GOP candidates on the ballot.

Calling for the question Murray said, “I think we should pass this on first reading and wait for that swell of feedback that’s not going to come.”

First the Council voted on the amendment, which failed 6-1 with support only from Eckert.

The motion to pass Ordinance 2022-16 on first reading as originally presented was then successful on a 6-1 vote with Eckert the lone dissenter.

“Thanks, Cody, for bringing it up,” Thomas offered.w

Hammer nodded in agreement. “I wasn’t going to bring it up tonight,” he said. “I thought we settled it at the October meeting. Hopefully we continue to fill the ballot. If not, we can revisit it sometime down the road.”

Concerning the proposed redistricting map, its selection has resulted in a complete turn-around for First Ward, represented on the Council by Cohen. Presently it is the smallest of the four wards. With a population of 2,478 under the proposed change, First Ward would represent the largest city voting contingent.

The changes would also put 2,442 in the Second Ward (represented by Stacie Langdon), 2,440 in Third Ward (represented by Pejril) and 2,460 in Fourth Ward (represented by Eckert).

“Ironically,” as Council President Hammer, one of the three at-large members, pointed out, “First Ward, which was our smallest, will now be our largest by just a few people.”

As redrawn, First Ward is essentially the west side of Greencastle, from the viaduct on the north side to Veterans Memorial Highway on the south and everything west of Locust Street.

Second Ward, as redrawn, is essentially everything north of Washington Street and east of Northwood Boulevard/Greenwood Drive to the city limits on the east.

Third Ward is essentially redrawn as south of Washington Street to Tennessee Street north of Foxridge, east of Locust Street, including the entire East Side to the city limits.

Fourth Ward is redrawn as all of Foxridge plus a few areas north of Veterans Highway and south to city limits, as far west as the west side of Locust Street and east to 10th Street.