Towson Community Leaders Vote to Oppose Redistricting Plan
The community group will join an effort by Liberty Road groups to send the new county council map back to the drawing board.
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At its Thursday meeting, the Greater Towson Council of Community Associations voted unanimously to join a Woodlawn effort to overturn Baltimore County's new redistricting plan.
Community leaders say the plan as approved will spread Towson area residents' votes and influence among four different council districts.
"The feeling last night at our executive session, when we took this vote, is we want to make sure that Towson becomes a bigger player in terms of county politics and we feel that when we are a part of everyone's district that we are not necessarily represented the same," said David Kosak, the council's president.
Earlier this month, community groups in the Liberty Road corridor announced plans to push for a referendum on the redistricting plan. Their petition will require 28,826 signatures to put it on the 2012 ballot. Just over 9,500 of those signatures must be turned in by December.
If the petition is successful, it would be the first county law forced to referendum.
Much of Towson is in the 5th district, currently represented by Councilman David Marks of Perry Hall.
In the new redistricting plan, two Towson neighborhoods, Loch Hill and Glendale-Glenmont, would be shifted to the 6th district, represented by Councilwoman Cathy Bevins of Middle River.
Marks has said in interviews that ultimately there was no support on the council for splitting or swapping election precincts to keep the communities in his district.
Some neighborhoods west of downtown Towson, including Ruxton, Riderwood and Lake Roland are already in 2nd district represented by Councilwoman Vicki Almond, while Hampton and other neighborhoods north of the Baltimore Beltway are represented by 3rd district Councilman Todd Huff.
"This is the first step of many for us in Towson to begin to rebuild that Towson district and all along we're not looking for a specific representative or a specific candidate," said Kosak, who stressed that the vote was not a reflection of the group's recent disagreements with Marks. "We're just looking for a district that we feel is more representative of Towson."
At issue in Woodlawn is the shifting of a precinct whose voters vote at Woodlawn High School.
That precinct would shift from a majority-minority district currently represented by Councilman Ken Oliver to one represented by Councilman Tom Quirk.
The shift moves major employers such as the Social Security Administration into Quirk's district.
Bryan P. Sears contributed to this report.
reader
12:31 am on Sunday, October 23, 2011
Wow, you all must think that your elected officials (read MOM, he made up this mess) really give a wit for what you want. This is all about keeping these sorry democrats in office. Oh, and who does that, well take a look in the mirror to see who is to blame.
Bart
9:51 am on Sunday, October 23, 2011
Until the Towson area is large enough in population to warrant its own district, what is there to gain with all this acrimony? Being a Democrat, and a resident of Towson for over 30 years, I can see this move for what it really means. Nobody cared a whit for what happened to Towson neighborhoods until David Marks was its representative and has showed some real initiative and care about Towson.
Now Mike Ertel and his gang want in. All they have ever done for Towson was to tie up a piece of the rare "Green Space" in Towson for their doomed "Community Pool" That almost noone can afford to join.
Dennis King
1:17 pm on Sunday, October 23, 2011
Bart- you may have lived here for 30 years, but you are clueless. Having grown up in Baltimore City, I know gerrymandering when I see it. The redistricting that took place after the 2000 census was horrible and left us with a Councilman who did nothing for Towson. Now I'm a Democrat who supported Mike Ertel, but I will acknowledge that David Marks has done more for Towson in a few months than his predecessor ever did. However, I challenge you to tell me why Towson has more in common with Perry Hall and Kingsville than it does with the neighborhoods due north of Towson or due south and east of Stoneleigh. The redistricting commission that prepared the map was a joke, made up of a bunch of political hacks whose sole function was to protect the incumbents at the expense of neighborhoods. A district made up of Towson, Timonium, Ruxton and Loch Raven makes far more sense than the monstrosity that passed the County Council.
Bart
1:48 pm on Sunday, October 23, 2011
Towson has far more in common with Perry Hall than it does with Parkton and Hereford. Loch Raven has a lot in common with Hillendale.
What you are suggesting would require a total re-mapping of ALL of Baltimore County.
And that ain't happening, unless Towson becomes its own district.
Jim21236
5:34 pm on Monday, October 24, 2011
Bart - are you are population specialist or a David Mark's crony? You might want to look at the 2010 census figures.
As a Perry Hall resident of 25 years and I'm happy that the new 5th District gives us the power we deserve at Towson's expense. I'd like to see snooty Towson dropped from the 5th all together. But Towson does have the population to have its own council district but now it will be divided into 4 different council districts. If you took the old 4th Council District (Towson, Ruxton, Rodgers Forge, Loch Raven and Hillendale area, and Hampton) - that population is almost 85,000 people far larger than most areas except Perry Hall/ White Marsh and Owings Mills/Reisterstown.
By the way, Mike Ertel knocked on my door last year and I liked his moxy and his clear vision on what is happening in this county. I almost voted for him as a Republican, but I ultimately wanted a guy from PH representing me. Bartenfelder and Ertel were the only Democrats that bothered to show up to a Tea Party candidate's forum and people liked his tell like it is attitude. I'd love to see Ertel shaking things up one day as your councilman than we can have our councilman's full attention.
Jim21236
5:41 pm on Monday, October 24, 2011
Actually I'm wrong Bart, it is approximately 95,000 to 98,000 people in that old 4th district. I'd fight for that if I were a Towson son.
Bart
5:53 pm on Monday, October 24, 2011
Why so touchy Jim? Perry Hall getting power they deserve at Towson's expense? I think not. David Marks works so well for the entire district that we all feel we are the "favorite".
You and I are not so far apart in our thoughts. The "old 4th" as you describe it is what I had in mind when I stated that the whole county would have to be re-mapped.
What Kosak and Ertel would like to have happened was to pare off small neighborhoods of north and west Towson to the 3rd.
Those neighborhoods, which are more urban, and have problems with College Students and general school overcrowding have little in common with the areas of the 3rd which are rural extending to the Pennsylvania line.