County seeking more flexibility in redistricting

Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2004 | 9:05 a.m.

Clark County could soon go through the often tumultuous process of redistricting for County Commission seats under a bill proposed for the coming session of the Legislature.

The last redistricting came in 2001, a year after the 2000 federal census. The county has generally followed the census with redistricting every 10 years, but some commissioners believe the county's rapid growth means commission districts should be redrawn more frequently, said Dan Musgrove, Clark County director of intergovernmental affairs and a county lobbyist in Carson City.

"A few of the commissioners feel that because of the tremendous growth, their districts are out of whack," Musgrove said.

Unlike Nevada's city charters, which provide more flexibility for redistricting, the county's rules are set in the Nevada Revised Statutes, state laws. Musgrove said the attorney general and Legislative Counsel Bureau interpretations of those laws are at odds when it comes to the question of whether the county can redraw the commission district lines between censuses.

"We felt that it would just be better to get it cleaned up in the statute," he said.

Those whose districts have, he said, "experienced tremendous growth" in the last four years include Bruce Woodbury in District A, which includes Henderson; Rory Reid in District G, which includes much of the southern part of the urban area; Lynette Boggs McDonald, whose District F includes much of Spring Valley; and incoming commissioner Tom Collins, whose District B includes North Las Vegas.

Redistricting could affect every boundary. In the 2001 redistricting, county planners tried to keep just under 200,000 people in each district, for a total of about 1.4 million. Since then, the county population has grown to about 1.75 million, according to county estimates.

Musgrove said the county would like to have redrawn district boundaries in place by the 2006 commission elections, which would have contests now held by Boggs McDonald, Reid and Myrna Williams.

The process of redistricting has, in the past, been controversial. One possible rival to former Commissioner Erin Kenny was drawn out of Kenny's District F in 2001 at what county officials characterized as a last-minute change. Hispanics in 2001 saw the redistricting as an opportunity to win a seat for a Hispanic candidate, which they had with former Commissioner Dario Herrero but do not now have.

Andres Ramirez, a political consultant with Ramirez and Associates, said the Hispanic community will watch the redistricting carefully, but he does not have high hopes for a Hispanic to win a County Commission seat in 2006.

The district with the highest Hispanic representation, about 50 percent, is now held by Yvonne Atkinson Gates, who just won re-election to a four-year term, Ramirez said. The next largest district for Hispanic voters would be Collins' and he also would not be up for re-election until 2008.

"Unless you redraw the lines dramatically, there's really not an opportunity until 2008," Ramirez said. "I don't think it will present an opportunity in the '06 election."

Collins said he believes the districts should be withdrawn because some populations have grown so large, it makes it difficult for challengers.

"They need to be drawn down to equal size so there's equal opportunity for everybody," he said. "I don't have a problem with redistricting. It would have to be thoughtfully done."

Woodbury said he believes redistricting is an important issue because of the growth of the county's population. Although Woodbury is a Republican, he is supporting Commissioner Rory Reid to take the center seat on the commission next year as the commission chairman.

As chairman, Reid will ensure that the interests of the Republicans, a 4-3 minority on the board, will be respected, Woodbury said.

"I think he would be fair and respect the rights of the non-majority Republicans," Woodbury said.

The redistricting bill draft is one of 15 that Clark County is hoping to pass in the coming session. Musgrove characterized the bulk of the others as legislation designed to clean up provisions in the law.

However, the bill drafts also include a voter-approved increase in sales taxes to fund more police throughout Clark County, a change in penalties for failure to do business with a license, among others.