By DAVE SCHULTZ
The Bluffton Common Council will have seven members after the next municipal election in 2023. The question is: How will they be chosen?
Mayor John Whicker has brought up the question in previous meetings of the council, but on Tuesday night, he asked for particular guidance from the council as to how they want to make that decision.
What Whicker wanted to do was to get a general agreement from the council on how they wanted to make that decision.
Whicker said there were two ways to proceed. One was to keep the present four council districts — represented by Roger Thornton (District 1), Josh Hunt (District 2), Janella Stronczek (District 3), and Scott Mentzer (District 4) and add two at-large members to the mix. Rick Elwell is the council’s only current at-large member. The other proposal would be to create five council districts and have two at-large members.
Whicker said, and the general consensus of the council members present, was to create five districts and have two at-large members. What Whicker likes about the 5-and-2 plan is that it prevents one district from having four council members in its borders. Under the 4-and-3 plan, one council district could be the home of the three at-large members plus one district member — and that would be a majority of the council.
“We want to stay away from a scenario that gives one district a majority of the votes,” Thornton said.
“I tend to agree with that,” Mentzer said.
With the council’s consent, Whicker said he would have City Attorney Tony Crowell contact a company that does this type of planning on a regular basis.
The work must be completed by November of this year, Whicker said. Prospective candidates must live in a district a year before running for a district seat on the council.
daves@news-banner.com
