Five Trout Lake residents are seeking revisions to the recently approved 2022-2031 Klickitat County redistricting plan, initiating a petition with Klickitat County Superior Court. An administrative hearing between the petitioners and Klickitat County officials is set for April 8 in court.
Opponents argued in a Jan. 11 court filing that the approved plan, which draws the voting district boundaries for the next 10 years, contains deficiencies and that county officials failed to “follow a full, reasonable and transparent process for making such an important decision.”
The five petitioners — Trout Lake residents Linda Roland, Jon Nakae, Christine Nakae, Mary Calahan, and Candice Shuman — in the court filing noted that the plan, approved Dec. 28, 2021, mirrors the plan approved by the Board of Commissioners in 2011, “and there has been no attempt to draft a plan that better balances the three districts.”
The 2011 plan split the community of Trout Lake between the Trout Lake and Glenwood voting precincts — that is, between Districts 1 and 2. According to the court filing, 276 Trout Lake residents live within the boundaries of the Glenwood precinct in District 2, and based off of U.S. Census figures, the remaining 296 residents of the same community live in District 3.
“Given the substantial 10 year growth in District 1 as compared to the other two districts (e.g., 55% for District 1 versus 16% and 29% respectively for District 2 and 3) petitioners would have expected the Board of County Commissioners to explore alternative boundaries…,” petitioners wrote to the court, in part.
They went on to argue that the Board of County Commissioners did not meet several criteria when approving the redistricting plan.
State law requires each district “to be nearly equal in population as possible” and “as compact as possible.” It also requires the district boundaries to conform with natural existing boundaries and preserve existing communities “of related and mutual interest.”
The plaintiffs told the court in the Jan. 11 filing that the Glenwood precinct encompasses “12 blocks, 276 residents, that live within what is considered Trout Lake community limits.
“Most of the residents affected by this ‘split’ live within a mile or two of our central Trout Lake services,” the complaint continued.
They also noted that the Trout Lake and Glenwood valleys, while sharing a commissioner district, are “geographically distinct” from each other.
“The two valleys are in different watersheds, have different sources of drinking and irrigation water, and other natural features,” the plaintiffs said.
Despite obtaining the pertinent census data in August, as Columbia Gorge News previously reported, the group alleged that the county did not meet noticing requirements, arguing that “the timeline did not allow time for any amendment, following the public comment … It would seem that the commission’s intention was to perpetuate the existing districting plan without regard to any change in population or the interests of the communities.”
The five petitioners declined to comment on the petition.
Klickitat County Prosecuting Attorney David Quesnel responded to the petition, writing to the court denying the specific allegations that the county board of commissioners failed to meet the state-mandated criteria when they approved the redistricting plan.
The Trout Lake Community Council is not party to the lawsuit but Chair Daina Bambe has voiced support for the appeal. The council wrote a letter to the Board of Commissioners expressing dissatisfaction with the redistricting process.
“Over the past month (Trout Lake Community Council) provided an opportunity for District 1 and District 2 voters to support a petition regarding the county’s redistricting process and decision. Community members are especially dissatisfied that our community is still split into two commissioner districts,” the Feb. 14 letter reads. “As of this date, 113 residents have signed the petition.”
Commissioners noted recently that they are not commenting on the topic in public.
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