A proposal redrawing Will County’s district map could shrink the board’s representation from 13 two-member districts to 11 two-member districts.
Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant made this pitch to the county during Thursday’s board meeting. “This reduction will achieve cost savings for the county, saving taxpayers’ dollars by creating a leaner, more efficient county board,” Bertino-Tarrant said.
How It Works
Under her proposed redistricting plan, the number of seats on the board would be reduced by four.
The map strives to adhere to several principles for guidance, including compactness, contiguity, preservations of communities of interest and respect for municipal, township and other political subdivision boundaries.
Population Changes
Bertino-Tarrant stressed the importance of officials adopting a plan that accurately reflects the diversity of the communities, all while keeping an eye to the future as Will County remains one of the fastest growing counties in Illinois.
Will County’s total population is 696,355 residents, based on the latest Census data. Bertino-Tarrant said the fastest growing groups in the county are Hispanics and Asians.
Public Input Sought
Bertino-Tarrant touted the community’s involvement and interest in the county’s redistricting process. “This plan is the result of conversations and comments from public officials, members of the general public and feedback made during county committee hearings,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “Ensuring a collaborative process was critical to gain a full picture of how our communities could be best represented by our proposed plan. This map is also a reflection of the changing population trends of our growing county as outlined in the finalized Census data.”
Bertino-Tarrant encouraged county board members to take a closer look at her proposal and bring back questions or comments following the presentation.
A public hearing and county board discussion on this topic is expected in early October.
Moving Forward
Bertino-Tarrant believes the proposal puts Will County in the best position to thrive.
“Creating a map is not an easy task,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “However, I believe this map to the best of our ability best reflects our diverse communities while achieving cost savings through a leaner, more efficient structure. This plan aligns with the population trends, keeps communities of interest in tact, and prepares for future county boards for continued growth of this county.”
Naperville News 17’s Megann Horstead reports.
If you have a story idea, we want to hear from you.
