With the 2020 census completed, Escambia County and City of Pensacola need to review the boundaries of their districts and adjust them before the end of this year.
The city of Pensacola’s charter sets forth a process. The council  appoints a member from each of the seven districts to a districting commission. No member of the commission shall be employed by the City or hold any other elected or appointed position in the City.
The districting commission holds public meetings and recommends district boundaries that the council can accept or reject and come up with another plan.
The county doesn’t have a charter. The state constitution gives the county commissioners the authority for redrawing district lines.
Downtown Pensacola businessman John Peacock has assembled a group of community leaders that either live or own businesses in Escambia County that want the Board of County Commissioners to form a Citizen Advisory to make recommendations on how to redraw the county’s five districts.
The group recommends the committee have five to 15 members. The final authority remains with the commissioners.
Read John Peacock letter.
Beware: John Peacock wants to do away with residence electing their County Commissioners in their Districts. He has so stated that Commissioners would run at large, allowing voters at large to vote for each of the Five Districts. If that was to happen, individuals of color will never be elected to any country office. It was that way a number of years ago, find to be discriminatory, so said a Federal Judge. Now. Peacock wants to turn back the clock and maybe even bring back Jim Crow LAWS,, just like our two state representative and Governor has done with the lastest restriction of people right to vote…BEWARE OF WOLF IN SHEEP CLOTHING,,WHITE OF COURSE….
A better idea for 2021 is to use the “active voter” database as the baseline for drawing new election districts. Some should ask the county attorney if that’s legal. I think it is. Sooner is better so candidates for 2022 know where the district lines are drawn. Escambia County has 236,785 active voters. An “ideal” election district would have 47,357 active voters. Between them, the City of Pensacola and the Santa Rosa Island Authority (Pensacola Beach) have 46,921 active voters. Perfect enough. Make that the new District 4.