Botkin could get 11,000 new constituents

By the end of this month, the Kitsap County Commissioners plan to approve a redistricting plan that could be thrown out the window in February 2002.

Counties are required to update commissioner districts every 10 years to reflect population changes, using current Census data.

But the new twist to this once-a-decade exercise in Kitsap County is the proposed home-rule charter, set for a Feb. 5 vote.

The charter would create a five-member county council elected from five districts, instead of the existing three.

If voters approve the charter, commissioner district boundaries drawn this year would become irrelevant next year.

A public hearing on redistricting for the existing three commissioner districts is set for 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 10, at the courthouse in Port Orchard. Two proposals will be discussed. The commissioners expect to approve a plan on Dec. 17, their last meeting of the year.

Although the two proposals are slightly different, both would leave the county with three districts of about 77,300 residents.

Central Kitsap’s District 3, represented by County Commissioner Tim Botkin, is set to gain more than 11,000 residents.

North Kitsap’s District 1, represented by Commissioner Chris Endresen, is expected to lose about 9,500 residents. South Kitsap’s District 2, represented by Commissioner Jan Angel, would lose 1,500 residents.

According to the Kitsap County Auditor’s Office, the two boundary proposals allow for equitable distribution of residents in each district. The number of registered voters in each proposed district, however, could look much different.

Under proposal one, the North Kitsap commissioner district would have 47,310 registered voters, the South Kitsap district would have 40,214 registered voters and the Central Kitsap district would have 39,200 registered voters.

Under proposal two, the North Kitsap district would have 45,711 registered voters, the South district would have 40,214 registered voters and the Central district would have 40,799 registered voters.

The first proposal changes the least number of precincts and voters to balance the populations in each district, while proposal two creates a more geographically compact, even division between the North Kitsap District 1 and Central Kitsap District 3.

For more information on the proposals, visit the county Web site at www.kitsapgov.com or call Auditor’s Office elections staff at 337-7128.

Maps of the two proposals are posted outside the Auditor’s Office at the courthouse and at the county elections office at the Givens Community Center.

Redistricting options

• Proposal 1

North Kitsap’s District 1 would lose precincts 65, 127, 128, part of 143, 173 and 175.

South Kitsap’s District 2 would add precincts 7, 298, 297 and 294 and lose precincts 40 and 44.

Central Kitsap’s District 3 would add precincts 40, 44, 65, 127, 128, part of 143, 173 and 175; District 3 would lose precincts 7, 294, 297 and 298.

• Proposal 2

District 1: Precincts 65, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 140, 142, 143, 144, 150, 173 and 175 would be removed. Precincts 103, 120, 148, 141, 149 and part of 100 would be added.

District 2: Precincts 7, 294, 297 and 298 would be added and precincts 40 and 44 removed.

District 3: Added would be precincts 40, 44, 65, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 140, 142, 143, 144, 150, 173 and 175. Removed would be precincts 7, 103, part of 100, 120, 148, 141, 149, 294, 297 and 298.

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