It is a Lane County measure that will be on the ballot this November.

It would create a committee to draw new county election voting boundary maps - five years ahead of schedule.

The County Charter, which is like a county Constitution, is carefully reviewed every decade. Any updates must be approved by the voters. Three County commissioners used the upcoming vote on the Lane County charter as a chance to slip in their own proposal to change our election voting boundaries.

Normally, a nonpartisan group of citizens takes months to get public input and make careful recommendations for Charter updates. That Charter Review Committee took a year of study and input to create their suggestions. Measure 20-362 did not come from the Charter Review Committee.

In contrast, Measure 20-362 came from three county commissioners who want new districts to be drawn. They pushed this ballot measure through at the last minute, with no public hearings or process.

The entire Charter Review Committee opposed putting this measure on the ballot because it has significant issues and needed much more review. The Charter Review Committee unanimously opposed the plan to force an extra redistricting effort in 2025.

The County Clerk, who runs our elections, said this measure would jeopardize the integrity of local elections.

Citizens across the county testified and wrote against the Measure, because election integrity is essential.

But three commissioners pushed it onto the ballot anyway.

There is no legitimate reason to change the voting maps now.

However, some commissioners want new maps before they have to run for re-election in 2026.

Manipulating districts for political gain, outside of legitimate process, is Gerrymandering.

Election integrity matters, and adjusting district boundaries is a serious matter. It should not be done on a whim.

Every decade, we get new federal Census data, showing where population shifts have occurred. Every voting district, from city councils to Congress, then makes any needed adjustments to their voting boundary maps so that each district has the same number of voters, and we have equal representation.

We are due to adjust our districts when we get the new Federal Census population data in 2030. However, Measure 20-362 would force the county to redraw district maps in 2025, just in time for the 2026 election - even though there will be no new population data to use.

No.  Our current maps were created by a truly independent commission of local citizens from across the political spectrum.  Each of the five county commission districts contains almost the exact same number of people, within 1%, for equal representation.  The committee worked hard to keep neighborhoods intact.  

They presented three options to the County Commissioners in 2021, and one was chosen.

In some places, like North Carolina, there are serious legal challenges to districts because maps are unfair or discriminatory, but that is clearly not the case here.  In 3 years, no legal challenges have been made in Lane County.

No, we already have an Independent Redistricting process in Lane County that follows county, state, and federal laws.

Measure 20-362 would completely replace our current process and set in stone an untested and poorly structured redistricting process. Measure 20-362 has some ideas that could be applied to improve future redistricting efforts. There’s no harm in having that discussion, but Measure 20-362 wants to set untested and flawed ideas in stone in our County Charter. Redistricting is too important to be controlled by this poorly written and untested process. If the backers of this measure actually wanted to craft an improved redistricting process, they would have gone about things very differently.

Some analyses of Measure 20-362 indicate that their citizen commission would actually be LESS independent, and more under the control of the elected commissioners than our current Independent Redistricting Committee process.

Math.  We use math to ensure there is equal representation for all and commissioner districts have the same number of people in each district.

Over half of the county population resides in Eugene, so we cannot create five contiguous districts of equal size without including some of Eugene. The rural commissioner districts are still overwhelmingly rural , between 79% and 97% , and those voices will dominate their districts.

It is estimated to cost at least $75,000 (in time and materials). Our county budget has a shortfall and is cutting 15 positions.  Something else will have to be cut if this passes.

Another cost to consider is the time this will take community volunteers. This is another huge lift to re-create and reconvene another volunteer committee to re-do the work of the previously appointed independent redistricting committee.

That committee worked hard and diligently to make the current maps according to law.

This measure throws out their work - that's a tremendous waste of resources, and tells the public that their volunteer hours are not respected or valued.

Despite having almost no notice, over 50 Lane County citizens testified to the Commissioners against the Measure.  

The numbers of opponents are growing daily.

Our local elected officials oppose the Measure, included our former Congressman Peter DeFazio, 6 local state legislators, Lane Community College Board members (whose districts will also be impacted), school board members, and Lane County Commissioners Laurie Trieger and Heather Buch.

The League of Women Voters of Lane County, a watch-dog for election integrity, oppose the measure.

The three County commissioners who want to jigger with their election districts to make them more favorable for their upcoming elections, and their supporters.

Read the full text of the Charter Amendment on the Lane County website at www.lanecountyor.gov/ProposedCharterMeasures2024