The primary purpose of redistricting is representation – to make sure that the residents of Hays County have an equal voice in their government and that, when asked to choose their representatives at election time, each voter’s choice carries equal weight.
Growth in the eastern portion of Hays County since 2010 has been explosive, with growth in Precinct 2 far exceeding that of any other portion of the county.
No commissioner, and certainly not one representing Precinct 2, can ignore the fact that major portions of Hays County, which had been primarily rural only a decade or go, are now far more densely populated and urban than they once were. Consequently, their current and future needs will continue to have less and less in common with less-densely populated and more rural portions of the county than they did 10 and 20 years ago. The county’s leadership must recognize and act on this fact.
Redistricting, to underline a key point, is about making sure the playing field is level when it comes to representation; and with Hays County growing by 61 percent in the last 10 years, the playing field is anything but level for residents of Precinct 2 who, on a per-capita basis, are now significantly underrepresented in Commissioners Court when compared to residents of Precincts 1, 3, and 4.
This is not to say that some of the policy issues raised by Commissioner Mark Jones (in last week’s guest column) are not valid subjects for specific public policy discussions today or in the future. For example, the need for particular road projects – and how they should be developed and managed – is an appropriate subject of discussion between our public officials and the people they have been elected to serve. Mr. Jones’ column suggests, however, that somehow the priorities of the county redistricting process should be viewed as nothing more than a vote of confidence in his approach to road projects. But that’s a subject for a future primary and general election. Not for the current redistricting process.
To quote Mr. Jones, “No redistricting proposal can make everyone happy, especially after a decade of major population change.” No truer words spoken. It’s definitely time for Mr. Jones – and all county commissioners – to recognize that Hays County cannot stand still and it must change to meet the changing needs of its people. And acting “for the convenience of the people,” as the Texas Constitution mandates, may mean that no redistricting proposal can make every commissioner happy.
Jon Leonard
San Marcos
