April 26, 2021

Responsible Cities PAC is very concerned about the McLean County Board’s hurried and non transparent approach to this year’s reapportionment (redistricting). Redistricting will determine how many districts and County Board members the county will have for the next ten years. The decisions the Board makes on the number of districts will have a direct impact on all citizens of McLean County, urban and rural.

At present the Board’s Executive Committee is holding “listening sessions” inviting members of the public to voice their concerns and opinions. There has been little publicity about these sessions and no detailed background on the many challenges and opportunities redistricting presents.

It is vital to the citizens of McLean County that the redistricting process be nonpartisan, transparent and, most importantly, based on population.

McLean County residents in the Responsible Cities PAC uphold the principle of one person, one vote. Political representation needs to be based on population, not other extraneous factors. The major purpose of the national census is to guide reapportionment according to where people actually live.

Here are just a few examples demonstrating why McLean County government matters urgently and equally to everyone in the county:

• McLean County Health Department

• Jail and Courthouse (Law and Justice Center)

• McLean County Nursing Home

• COMLARA Park (County of McLean Lack and Recreation Area)

• Mclean County County Clerk (elections/vital records)

• Coroner

• County highways such as Towanda-Barnes Road

In a democracy, no proposal that dilutes representation of some residents to the benefit of other residents is acceptable.

Please contact your County Board representative and express your concerns and questions about this very important process.

Here is the link to Board member contact information:

https://www.mcleancountyil.gov/Directory.aspx?DID=11