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Lexington-Fayette Begins Council Redistricting

By Brenna Angel

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wuky/local-wuky-970734.mp3

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Changes are ahead for Lexington's legislative districts.

The latest figures from the U.S. Census show some of the districts within Lexington Fayette Urban County Government are unevenly populated. Lexington Vice-Mayor Linda says each district should have around 24,650 people give or take 5 percent, but some are much larger.

"The 2nd District, which includes the Masterson Station area, and the 12th District, which included a lot of the expansion area on the east end of the county, they grew by many thousand people."

Districts 1 and 3, on the other hand, don't have enough residents.

Gorton formed a redistricting committee made up of citizens from across Lexington to recommend changes. The new boundaries cannot be solely based on race or ethnic background.

Boundaries need to be redrawn, but those district lines cannot be solely based on race or ethnic background.

"However, the Supreme Court and the various courts along the way have ruled that they can look at similar characteristics, economic considerations, cultural considerations," says Gorton.

The redistricting committee will meet for several weeks and present their proposal for new boundaries to the Urban County Council by the end of September.