(A) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to establish County Commissioners and County Council election districts.
(B) County Board of Commissioners.
(1) The County Executive shall divide the county into three districts that are composed of contiguous territory and are reasonably compact. The Executive may not divide precincts but may divide townships only when division is clearly necessary to accomplish redistricting.
(2) The county is divided into three County Commissioner Districts designated numerically as follows:
(a) District 1: Center Township, Clay Township, Eel River Township, Franklin Township, Liberty Township, Marion Township, Middle Township and Union Township are in the First Commissioner District.
(b) District 2: Brown Township, Lincoln Township and the precincts north of U.S. 36 to Washington Township are in the Second Commissioner District.
(c) District 3: Guilford Township and the precincts south of U.S. 36 in Washington Township are in the Third Commissioner District.
(C) County Council.
(1) The County Executive shall, by ordinance, divide the county into four contiguous, single-member County Council Election Districts. The Executive may not divide precincts when redistricting.
(a) One member of the fiscal body shall be elected by the voters of each of the four districts.
(b) Three at-large members of the fiscal body shall be elected by the voters of the whole county.
(2) Single-member districts must:
(a) Be compact, subject only to natural boundary lines (such as railroads, major highways, rivers, creeks, parks and major industrial complexes);
(b) Contain as nearly as possible, equal populations; and
(c) Include whole townships, except when a division is clearly necessary to accomplish redistricting under this section.
(3) A division shall be made during the first year after a year in which a federal decennial census is conducted.
(4) The county is divided into four County Council Election Districts designated numerically as follows:
(a) District 1: Precincts east of S.R. 267 in Washington Township EXCEPT Washington precinct 16. Also, Lincoln Township precinct 10.
(b) District 2: Brown Township (entire). Also, Lincoln Township EXCEPT precincts Lincoln 8 and 10.
(c) District 3: Clay Township (entire), Franklin Township (entire), Guilford Township (entire), Liberty Township (entire), and Marion Township (entire).
(d) District 4: Center Township (entire), Eel River Township (entire), Middle Township (entire), Union Township (entire). Also, Lincoln Township precinct 8 and Washington Township precinct 16.
(Ord. 2013-26, passed 12-10-2013; Ord. 2021-75, passed 12-28-2021)
Statutory reference:
Division of county into districts, see I.C. 36-2-3-4