County seats face threat from census

Web posted Wednesday, December 27, 2000

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By Brandon Haddock
Staff Writer

Richmond County lawmakers will meet with residents this week to hear their wish lists for the Georgia General Assembly's upcoming session.

But those constituents - or the lack of them - might mean fewer state representatives for the county by next year.

The county could lose at least one representative to a statewide reapportionment of the Legislature's House and Senate seats, legislators said Tuesday.

At the very least, some of Richmond's six House districts might have to expand into neighboring counties to keep all six seats, officials said.

``Richmond County virtually has not grown,'' said Sen. Don Cheeks, D-Augusta. ``There's going to be a partial representative in Richmond County no matter how you split it.''

Some state legislators have said House District 114 will remain intact, but it is expected to slide into Columbia County. The seat is occupied by Rep. Sue Burmeister, R-Augusta, who defeated Robin Williams in the Republican primary.

Since the last reapportionment in 1990, some neighboring counties - especially Columbia County - have experienced growth, while Richmond County's population has remained level. That means one of Richmond County's seats could slide next door, especially if the Legislature votes to increase the number of residents per district from 36,000 to 43,000, lawmakers said.

``There's absolutely no way we can justify additional representation,'' Augusta Mayor Bob Young said. ``Loss of representation is an effect of a city that is not growing.

``We'll naturally be watching very carefully how the reapportionment plays out.''

The census also means a redrawing of the lines for the county's eight commission and school-board districts. Although the entire commission will decide on the new boundaries, Mr. Young said Tuesday that he would like to create a citizens' board to provide input about the process.

``There's a great deal of value in having people from outside government take a look at government,'' the mayor said, pointing to other citizens' committees reviewing Augusta's charter and its local option sales tax projects.

Lawmakers will hold public meetings today and Thursday to answer residents' questions and hear concerns about the 2001 legislative session. Today's meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Augusta Commission's chambers on the eighth floor of the Municipal Building, 530 Greene St.

The second meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at University Hospital Medical Center South Richmond County, 3121 Peach Orchard Road.

Reach Brandon Haddock at (706) 823-3409.

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