Decatur Plans To Change Election Districts

The Decatur City Commission will meet at 7:30 p.m. today and consider changing the boundaries of Election Districts One and Two for the City Commission and the city Board of Education.

The city said the recent census found District One has 10,437 people while District Two contains 8,896. That difference of 1,541 people results in a deviation of about 7.97 percent.  Election districts should not have a deviation greater than 5 percent, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

By adding 810 people to District Two, the districts will have a deviation of about .4 percent, the city said. The changes are necessary for the city to comply with the one-person, one-vote standard of the U.S. and Georgia constitutions.

Maps of the affected areas can be found on the city website, www.Decaturga.com. The areas proposed for relocation from District One to District Two include:

--The area beginning at 527 East College Ave. through 2661 East College Ave. and south between 110 South Columbia Drive to 334 South Columbia Drive west to the city limits. This area includes Talley, Weeks, New and Sams streets and addresses in the 800 block of Derrydown Way inside the city limits.

--The area bounded by West Howard Avenue on the south between North McDonough Street and North Candler Street and along the west between the odd-numbered properties including 103 North McDonough St. to 545 North McDonough St., then bounded on the north between 111 Sycamore St. through 231 Sycamore St. This includes all of East Court Square, the odd-numbered addresses in the 100 block of East Ponce de Leon Avenue and including the 100-300 blocks of Church Street and 418 and 408 Church Street and being bounded on the east by the even-numbered properties between 220 North Candler St. to 120 North Candler St.

--The area beginning with 1580 Commerce Drive and proceeding south to Robin Street and then west to Electric Avenue and then north to West Trinity Place and then west to Swanton Hill Drive then north to include 101-113 Peavine Creek Court and then east on Mary Gay Drive. This area includes 101-119 Mary Gay Court, 101-112 Fowler Court, 101-111 Franklin Court, then east on Greenwood Circle to include the even numbered addresses between 214 Greenwood Circle and 260 Greenwood Circle, then south on Pattillo Way to include the odd-numbered addresses between 105 Pattillo Way to 125 Pattillo Way ending at West Howard Avenue.

The City Commission will hold public hearings at 7:30 p.m. today and June 20 at City Hall, 509 N. McDonough St.