To the Editor:
One thing people hate about Illinois politics — gerrymandering of maps.
Every ten years, county board districts are redrawn to reflect changes in population.
Last year, when I ran for a second term, I promised, if re-elected, to present a fair map.
And that’s what I did. On Tuesday, I presented a map drawn by the geography department of the University of Illinois Springfield, reducing the number of board districts from 29 to 25.
Current map is here; proposed map is here.
In the contract, I specified “no bias” and to follow Illinois law, which requires districts to be a) nearly equal in population, b) compact, and c) to follow township, municipal and precinct lines, if possible.
In 2001, the chairman presented a gerrymandered map, so unfair that Republicans sued in federal court and won. An SIUE professor ended up drawing the map.
In 2011, the chairman proposed a gerrymandered map and the county board approved it.
Why reduce the number of county board districts?
Since the 1970 Illinois constitution, counties have reduced the size of their boards.
The constitution set the maximum size of a county board at 29. Today, only four counties (LaSalle, Sangamon, St. Clair and Madison) are at the maximum.
Montgomery County just went from 21 to 14. Rock Island is reducing from 25 to 19. Other counties have smaller boards: Cook (17), Dupage (18), Peoria (18), McLean (20) and Champaign (22).
The public can view the map on the county’s website.
If you have questions, feel free to call me at (618) 296-4341.
Kurt Prenzler, Madison County Board Chairman