Supervisors approve new district maps

By By Chris Allen Baker / staff writer
May 7, 2002
TV cameraman and political candidate Joe Norwood will keep voting in his current district and can still challenge incumbent Q.V. Sykes for the District 4 supervisor seat.
At the same time, residents of the Alamucha community in eastern Lauderdale County will move into supervisor District 5 for next year's elections.
The Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Monday to approve maps showing new district lines for supervisors and election commissioners, school board members, justice court judges and constables.
Buford and her staff will now work with county election commissioners in making adjustments to voting precinct lines. The board's action Monday was needed before Buford could continue the process.
After the voting precinct work is completed, Buford will present the entire package of district maps to supervisors for final approval. From that point, the maps will go to the U.S. Department of Justice for review to make sure that minority voting rights are protected.
Supervisors, who must redraw district lines for the county every 10 years to reflect shifts in population based on the latest U.S. Census, expect the new districts will be used starting with the 2003 elections.
Norwood, who lost to Sykes by 11 votes in the 1999 Democratic Primary, had asked supervisors last month not to move him from District 4 into District 2, which two proposed maps would have done. Sykes has pledged to seek re-election and Norwood has said he is also a candidate.
District 5 supervisor Ray Boswell successfully lobbied for Alamucha residents who he said requested to be returned to his district. They were placed in District 2 during redistricting 10 years ago.