At Wednesday’s Sedgwick County Commission meeting, the group approved the county's redistricting plan.
The final boundaries were unanimously suggested by a 15-member, bipartisan group that looked over 11 plans. Their goal was to make each district as compact as possible with equal representation.
Commissioner Jim Howell made a failed, substitute motion that would have kept the city of Maize in one district instead of two. He acknowledged the process was not without faults. "One of the things that we talked about from the very beginning was there was no such thing as a perfect map. There are actually competing ideas. Focus on one area, and try to fix, you know, one goal you might actually mess up another one," he said.
Redistricting occurs every 10 years after the census is completed. Data from the 2020 Census showed that Sedgwick County added 25-thousand citizens since 2010.
Follow this LINK to see the new Sedgwick County district boundaries.
The commission had several other items to consider Wednesday.
The county will join the statewide litigation to receive a $3.8 million settlement from opioid distributors. The settlement only involves distributors and the county will use the funds to mitigate the opioid crisis.
The board approved a funding and service agreement with the Wyandotte Nation Crosswinds Casino in Park City. The casino will pay the county $125 thousand per year for three years. Just over $77 thousand will go toward the Sheriff's office and the rest to fire and EMS services.
Commissioners narrowly approved a funding request for PBS Kansas by a 3-2 vote. The county will contribute $50,000 now and another $50,000 in early 2022.