Yesterday State Sen. Chad Barefoot introduced a bill that would change the way Wake County elects its Board of Commissioners. Presently, all seven members of the Board are elected at-large. Barefoot’s bill would allow voters to cast ballots for only two commissioners, one from their district and one at-large, using the same districts employed for the Board of Education which will be in place next year. This would also have the effect of increasing the number of Commissioners from 7 to 9.
Barefoot says the bill would allow for greater representation for the county’s suburban and rural voters, who tend to get drowned out by those who live in Raleigh. Saying that the plan would increase geographic diversity, end outrageously expensive countywide campaigns, and “allow ALL Wake County residents … a voice”, Barefoot’s rationale for the bill shrewdly borrows from Democratic messaging.
The consequences of the bill, however, would not be friendly to Democrats. The School Board districts were drawn to maximize GOP influence and would allow the party a much better shot at winning back control of the County Commission, which ended up 7-0 Democrat as a result of last year’s elections. The partisan nature of the bill has provoked anger from Democrats. Sen. Josh Stein called the move “foul”.
My take on this: good policy, bad timing. There’s definitely a case to be made that electing all the Commissioners at-large – and then having them represent districts they aren’t necessarily accountable to – doesn’t make sense. Barefoot has a point when he said the current system was designed 40 years ago, when Wake was a third of the size it is now, and needs updating.
That this need intersects with potential partisan advantage is one reason this bill is likely to pass the Republican-dominated legislature. In fact, I’m surprised this wasn’t attempted years ago, once it was obvious the days of Republicans winning countywide were numbered. Republicans could very well still be in control of the Board, and it wouldn’t be unanimously Democratic like it is now. And if it had been done at the same time the Board of Education districts were redrawn, the GOP wouldn’t have to face the same political blowback twice. Speaking of blowback, the GOP isn’t likely to face any, except from Democrats. That’s why gerrymandering is so appealing: it provides maximum political benefit with minimal consequences.
The current iteration of the bill would provide for two members to be elected from the “lettered” districts in 2016, which would increase the size of the board to 9. Starting in 2018, the other 7 members would all face the voters at the same time. The General Assembly will begin debate on the legislation next week.
John Wynne is the “conservative voice” at PoliticsNC, where he also provides polling analysis and commentary on legislative campaigns. When not writing about politics, he enjoys gardening and listening to opera. Contact: johncwynne@gmail.com.
They did the same thing to Buncombe County three years ago, because Asheville, the heart of the county and its seat, is overwhelmingly Democratic. They changed elections from 5 at large seats (one the chair) to six district seats and an at-large chair, with the districts coinciding with the assembly districts they had just redrawn in 2011 to eliminate the Democratic representatives. They got a 4-3 Democratic majority, fought it in court, lost, and tried again in 2014, with the same results. BUT …
the author of the bill, Tiny Timmy Moffitt, who also led the takeover of the Asheville Airport and Asheville Water System, was booted out of office in 2014, along with his Republican colleague Nathan Ramsay, because Buncombe Democrats were FED UP with the dishonest, crooked, lying leadership and mis-representation of our needs. Buncombe was the only county in the state that returned to blue in 2014, thanks in great part of Patsy Keever, who has now been elected Chair of the state party–because she knows how to motivate Democrats to fight and win and defeat the GOP Thugs.
Let’s hope Wake County voters do the same in the next cycle, and that all across the state we get rid of the ReThuglicans in the 2016 Democratic wave election.
I think that actions such as this is helping to turn Wake County democratic faster than it would be otherwise….note people in this county follow politics more than most counties NC thanks to Raleigh being the capitol…I predict in a few years Wake County will be nearly impossible to gerrymander to get a Republican majority…
As a side note since they seem to be obsessed with redistricting democratic trending urban counties in their favor (Buncombe, Guilford and now Wake) I think it would be hilarious to see the General Assembly try to gerrymander countywide elections for Durham or Orange Counties! Now that would be entertainment! lol
*typo correction* note people in this county follow politics more than most counties in NC thanks to Raleigh being the capitol
When are the voters in NC going to wake-up to the fact that a party as despised as the corporate republikans can only win by cheating; who is verifying the vote tabulations in the light of day. If the voters don’t wake-up soon the corporate republikans will soon lock-down the state and country under their authoritarian rule of ‘corporate profit is everything and nothing else matters, not even breathable air, drinkable water or a tree or two to shade the sun in summer.
“This would also have the effect of increasing the number of Commissioners from 7 to 9.”
I thought Republicans opposed increasing the size of government.
“Barefoot says the bill would allow for greater representation for the county’s suburban and rural voters, who tend to get drowned out by those who live in Raleigh. Saying that the plan would increase geographic diversity,”
I thought Republicans opposed Affirmative Action and quotas.
“would allow the party a much better shot at winning back control of the County Commission, which ended up 7-0 Democrat as a result of last year’s elections.”
Ah! There you go. When you can’t win the game just change the rules.
“Outrageously expensive county-wide races?” Give me a break. This is coming from the party of Art Pope. Barefoot is a sniveling little hack.
Hack is too kind a word. Met him at polls in 2012 and tried to convince me he was really a moderate and would vote for some of the democratic candidates in the election. A real piece of work as shown by this latest ploy .
Barefoot is one of the shallowest, most mean-spirited, two-faced, hypocritical, prevaricating politicians I’ve ever come across. His main campaign attacks were personal, truth-bending assaults on his opponent’s spouse. A small character who only seems to know how to take small-minded action. He’s all about smaller government unless he needs to roll out Big Government to benefit his party. He calls himself a “champion of public education” but then supports all the harsh cuts and extreme directions on education his boss Burger tells him to endorse. Very sad to say he represents me as state senator……
“Shallowest, most mean-spirited, two-faced, hypocritical, prevaricating…” Keep it coming, honey!
I had a class with him at Appalachian when we were both freshmen. We was then and, from what I’ve heard, still is a complete and utter dick. I can’t say at the time I thought he’d ever be a politician (he was the antithesis of congenial), but hey, it helps to marry the right person!
No, John, it’s nothing more Big Government GOP interloping into local government affairs again, as we’ve seen them do recently in meddling in airport commissions, water districts, annexations, business privilege taxes, and dictating from on high the timing of special county referendums. And it’s also taking their gerrymandering penchant and weapon to another extreme. Period.