Jackson County Apportionment Committee Begins Meetings

Map of current county commission districts and boundaries.

(September 21, 2021 7:02 PM) The first meeting of the Jackson Apportionment Commission was held in the Jackson County Commission Chambers last Thursday. The apportionment committee is required by law to meet following each United States Census to review and change, if necessary, boundaries for County Commission districts. The Apportionment Commission also decides the number of County Commission districts. Currently, Jackson County has 9 county commission districts/commissioners.

The number of commission districts and boundaries established will remain in place until the next Census in 2030. As a result of the last apportionment process, the number of county commissioners was reduced from 12 to its current number of 9.

The members of the County Apportionment Commission are prescribed by State Law. Members are County Clerk Amanda Kirkpatrick, County Treasurer Karen Coffman, County Prosecutor Jerry Jarzynka, Chairman of the Jackson County Democratic Party Conner Wood and Chairman of the Jackson County Republican Party Matt Dame. At its organizational meeting, Prosecutor Jerry Jarzynka was elected chairman and County Clerk Amanda Kirkpatrick was elected secretary.

The law and courts have held that population must be the primary criteria for district boundaries to ensure as much as is practicable the constitutional mandate of “one person, one vote.” Prison inmates are excluded from the population numbers for purposes of drawing boundaries. Other considerations include geographic continuity and diversity.

The Commission has established the following meeting schedule:

September 22, 2021

September 29, 2021

September 30, 2021

October 6, 2021

All meetings will be held in the Jackson County Commission Chambers, County Tower Building, 120 West Michigan Avenue. Meetings will begin at 5:30 p.m. Public comment at the meetings is invited and encouraged. Minutes of any meetings will be available on line at www.mijackson.org.

The Apportionment Commission must, by law, complete the process within 60 days of official publication of the census data. That publication occurred on August 12, 2021.

The computer-based GIS (geographical information system) will be used to assist the Commission in its consideration of various alternatives.

Population of Jackson County increased by 118 residents from 2010 to 2020, to 160,366. While the overall county population changed little, the City of Jackson population declined by 2,215. Townships with population growth over the past ten years include Blackman, up 1,591, Summit up 412 and Grass Lake, up 385 residents.

The Apportionment Commission must, by law, complete the process within 60 days of official publication of the census data. That publication occurred on August 12, 2021.

The computer-based GIS (geographical information system) will be used to assist the Commission in its consideration of various alternatives.