By Sylvia Maria Gross
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-925204.mp3
Kansas City, MO – Kansas City Missouri's redistricting committee members decided they will choose two maps to present to the city council in its final meeting tomorrow. Yesterday's meeting brought out strong support for keeping some district boundaries intact.
The committee is tasked with re-drawing district lines to accommodate recent population changes, particularly the growth of the Northland. Retired minister Wallace Hartsfield joined other African American leaders to say that the new map needed keep the black population in the third and fifth district above 60%.
"I'm not against someone else growing,"Hartsfield said, "But I am concerned about someone else growing at my expense."
Manheim neighborhood leader Rodney Knotts said maintaining Troost as a racial dividing line is a mistake.
"What we're doing is were going to continue to keep Kansas City as one of the five most segregated cities in this country," Knotts said.
Sixth district residents are concerned that the new boundaries not split the Hickman Mills School District.
At tomorrow's meeting, the redistricting committee will select two maps to present to the city council next week.(See maps here.) All this work could be put on hold, if voters in November decide redistricting needs to wait until census numbers come out next year.
