Redrawing of Plymouth’s Precinct Map Raises Questions.
In Plymouth, the town’s 15 precincts are being redrawn based on the latest federal census. Former Town Clerk Laurence Pizer, and current Clerk Pearl Sears have been working with a group, consisting mainly of town employees to assemble a new precinct map. At the Select Board meeting this week, it was learned that the new map will result in some town meeting members NOT living in the precincts they were elected to represent.
Bobbi Clark has more:
Click on image to enlarge map:
Laurence Pizer, says the changes the group has to make are based on population…
“…and not registered voters and the town meeting members are based on registered voters. So, it would throw the whole calculus off if we were to going to include the question of where town meeting members reside.”
Pizer welcomes the 5 residents to the working group that the Select Board voted to appoint…
“…but from the first time we made the presentation to the Select Board, we have had dozens of people making their comments either to me, or more likely to the Town Clerk, so this has been very much a public process.”
Besides, Pizer says, this a completely non-political activity…
“…it always has been. this is my fourth re-precincting. And we only want to consider neighborhoods and the requirements of the state.”
And the state requirements is…
“…that there be no more than 4,000 residents within any precinct. And that’s why we came up with 17 precincts and that no precinct can be more than plus or minus, 5%, from the norm”
In addition, Pizer reminds us that…
“…all town meeting members are going to have to stand for re-election in 2022.”
Click on image to enlarge map:
