Five plans are being considered as the Allen Parish Police Jury and Allen Parish School Board continues the process of redistricting to incorporate the recent census results.
This is the public’s time to review those plans and give their concerns, issues, etc., before a plan is adopted.
The jury has called for two public hearings and will post the plans at their office through March for the public’s inspection.
Jacob Dillehay, administrator parish engineer, has made appearances in the parish on behalf of the jury to give updates on the plans. He said jurors have set aside two public hearings before their February 7, and March 7, meetings at the Allen Parish Administrative Office in Oberlin. Those hearings will be observed from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The redistricting map options will be on display during these meetings for public viewing and comments. Additionally, the maps will remain on display in the Allen Parish Police Jury meeting room between the February and March meetings and will be available for public viewing during regular police jury business hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“We highly encourage the public to attend these public meetings as this is the time when public comments can be formally received and considered,” was issued by the jury on its Facebook™ posting in a letter to residents.
The jury’s letter also explained “redistricting is the process of rebalancing and redrawing election district lines to more accurately match the population distribution of the parish. Redistricting is required by law to be completed every 10 years if the population of the current election districts has changed by more than five percent and measured by the 10-year Federal Census. An analysis of the population was conducted based on the 2020 census and redistricting was determined to be required as documented in Resolution 6539 passed at the December 6, 2021, police jury meeting”
In a recent ordinance, the jury noted “Districts One, Two, Four, Six and Seven are outside the allowable plus/minus of the five percent deviation from the ideal district population of 2,856 since the total population for the parish is 19,994. According to census information, minus the prison population, the districts are as follows:
•District One has 1,220 population for a deviation of -57.3 percent.
•District Two has 4,056 population for a deviation of 42 percent.
•District Three has 2,755 population for a deviation of -3.5 percent.
•District Four has 3,349 population for a deviation of 17.3 percent.
•District Five has 2,928 population for a deviation of 2.5 percent.
•District Six has 2,098 population for a deviation of -26.5 percent.
•District Seven has 3,588 population for a deviation of 25.6 percent.
This process will bring the jury’s and school board’s seven districts into compliance and rebalance the population numbers in each district to within plus/minus of the five percent allowable by law.
