Three new Santa Rosa County Board of Commissioners redistricting conceptual maps are now available online at www.santarosa.fl.gov/redistricting. The maps were created based on public input and offer three additional options for redrawing district lines in order to accommodate changes in the county’s population.
The Santa Rosa County Board of Commissioners is required to adjust the boundaries of the county commission districts following each decennial federal census to ensure fair representation. Adjustments to the boundaries are made to divide the population as evenly as possible within the five commission districts. The current commission district 4 experienced the greatest population growth, with the other districts of the county generally growing proportionately. Due to the growth in district 4, citizens living in districts 2, 4, and 5 will potentially have the greatest impact to their district lines.
The three new conceptual maps include the following redistricting options:
· Option 2- District 4 is bounded on the west by Edgewood Drive (north of Highway 98) and Williams Creek (south of Highway 98), and extends northward to the Yellow River.
· Option 3- The western boundary of district 4 is the same as Option 2, but extends northward past the East River only to include the Holley community.
· Option 4- The western boundary of district 4 is the same as Option 2, but extends northward only to East River (the Holley community would be in district 2).
An important part of the redistricting process is public participation. Citizens are invited to review the information available online at www.santarosa.fl.gov/redistricting. The information and maps will be updated at this site continuingly throughout the redistricting process. Residents are encouraged to provide input via the e-mail link provided on the website or by attending the Tuesday, September 6 Santa Rosa County Commission Committee Meeting at 9 a.m. in the commission meeting room located at 6495 Caroline Street in Milton.
