City of Wilson issued the following announcement on Oct. 21.
A public hearing will help shape the Wilson City Council for the next 10 years.
City Council will hold a public hearing this evening on proposed new district maps, which are required because of the 2020 federal Census. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at City Council Chambers, third floor of Wilson City Hall, 112 Goldsboro St. N. The public is invited to attend. The meeting will also be televised live on Wilson’s Channel 8 and online here: https://vimeo.com/event/303928
City Council has to adopt new maps so that each district has roughly the same number of population. Federal law requires this type of redistricting after every Census as a protection of the “one-person, one-vote” requirements in the U.S. Constitution. This ensures that everyone’s vote is valued as closely as possible to equal.
The 2020 Census showed that Wilson’s 3rd and 4th district had gained the most population since 2010 while its 1st, 2nd and 7th were smaller in comparison. The proposed maps adjust the lines to try to balance the districts around 6,830 residents apiece, although the law allows small variations.
The proposed maps include three districts that have a majority of white residents, three that have a majority of black residents, and the last one that is nearly split.
City Council plans to vote on new maps at the Nov. 18 meeting. Once approved, the Wilson County Board of Elections will hold a filing period in early 2022 for City Council seats in Districts 3, 5, 6 and 7. The election will be Tuesday, March 8, 2022, and those City Council members will serve until December 2025.
Elections in districts 1, 2 and 4 will be held in November 2023, as well as the next race for mayor. Those seats will be for four years.
Original source can be found here.
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