Districting push untimely, commissioners say

A bill introduced Monday night by state Rep. Bill Faison, D-Orange, would change the process of Orange County commissioner elections — but county officials say the action is premature.

The bill would require district representation in commissioner elections. Beginning in 2006, residents of District A, which includes the Chapel Hill township, would elect two commissioners every two years to serve four-year terms.

District B, which includes Hillsborough, and District C, encompassing mostly rural Orange County, each would elect one member. One member of the board would be elected at large.

The rules would increase the number of commissioners from five to seven and become law after voters approved them in a referendum.

Faison said he sponsored the bill because residents of urban areas such as Chapel Hill end up electing the entire board.

“Right now one region is dominant,” Faison said. “There’s no reason other regions shouldn’t have a voice — someone at the table who shares their views.”

He added that although rural areas will have a guaranteed voice on the board, the commissioners might not act any differently.

“The majority view will be urban — Chapel Hill,” he said. “But the small-town, rural view needs to be heard.”

But some county officials think the measure is unwarranted.

Commissioner Stephen Halkiotis said the board is waiting on a report from the county manager that will explore district representation. He also said the issue has been studied before.

“The majority of the board thought that one person-one vote was the best way to go,” he said. “I still feel that way.”

“Mr. Faison, for his own particular reasons, has basically acted unilaterally by introducing a bill that was not requested by the Board of Commissioners.”

Commissioner Barry Jacobs said he would have preferred that Faison had waited until the board examined the issue on its own.

“I think it’s vastly premature,” he said. “We told (Faison) that, and he filed it anyway.”

But Faison said he doesn’t see any downside to district representation, adding that several commissioners have voiced their disagreement with his plan for reasons unknown to him. “Whether it’s self-preservation or not, I couldn’t tell you.”

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