PORT ANGELES — Applicants who want to be Clallam County’s next districting master have four days to make the deadline.
The districting master is hired by a five-member districting commission every 10 years to draw new boundaries for the county’s three districts based on decennial Census information.
The county charter mandates that the districts be evenly divided based on population, with boundaries that run from north and south from the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the Olympic Mountains.
No one has applied for the position this year. The deadline to apply is Friday at 4:30 p.m.
Clallam County took out classified advertisements in newspapers and posted the opening on its website, www.clallam.net.
Applications are available on the county website or at the commissioners’ office in Room 150 of the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles.
If no one applies by Friday, the Districting Commission will appoint a districting master.
Deadlines
The county charter requires that a districting master is hired by March 15. The commission planned to interview candidates March 14.
A redistricting plan must be finished by June 30. There will be an opportunity for public input before a final plan is approved.
Jeff Well, owner of Rite Bros. Aviation Inc. in Port Angeles, was the districting master in 1991 and 2001.
“He’s still in town, and apparently he’s expressed some interest in doing it again,” County Administrator Jim Jones said.
When reached at Rite Bros. on Friday afternoon, Well said he hasn’t decided whether or not to apply.
Committed to trip
Well has already committed to a two-week trip to Norway to compete in the World Beard and Mustache Championships in May.
Also in May, the complete Census 2010 information will be released.
“It’s a real time crunch, and you’ve got to hold public meetings to explain to people what numbers you’re coming up with,” Well said. “I’m just trying to decide whether I want to do that. It’s not a real lucrative proposition.”
The districting master bids for compensation.
Well said there was some controversy over the boundaries in 2001. The districting commission asked him to come up with several alternatives.
“I didn’t want to see any gerrymandering,” Well recalled.
There was less opposition to Well’s recommendations in 1991, he said.
In 2001, the boundaries between the three districts shifted to the east because of the growth in the Sequim area, Well said.
Might go east, but not by much
“I think it might go east [in 2011], but maybe not as much,” he said.
“There was growth, but not as much this time as last time. I don’t think its going to be anything real drastic.
The boundary between District 2 and District 3 zigzags though west Port Angeles. The boundary between Districts 1 and 2 roughly follows McDonald Creek.
In the past, Well has aligned the districts using voter precincts.
“I get data from the Census and build spreadsheets and formulas and sit down and crunch numbers,” Well said.
“They don’t give you information based on voting precincts. I convert the Census data and categorize it by voting precincts.”
Well said he is neither a Democrat nor a Republican. He breaks down the Census numbers to come up with the most logical boundaries.
“When you do that, you get a good product,” Well said.
Section 7.40 of the Clallam County charter outlines the process for redistricting.
In Clallam County, each of the three commissioners appoints one member to the districting commission. The other two represent the major political parties.
John Marrs, appointed by the Clallam County Democratic Party, is chairman. Eric Foth, appointed by the Clallam County Republican Party, is secretary.
Commissioner Steve Tharinger appointed Earl Archer as District No. 1 representative. Commissioner Mike Chapman appointed Paul Martin for District No. 2. Commissioner Mike Doherty appointed Forks Mayor Bryon Monohon for District No. 3.
No charter in Jefferson
In Jefferson County, which does not have a charter, county officials follow state law.
The Office of Financial Management will forward Census information to County Administrator Philip Morley and the Jefferson County commissioners, who will determine whether or not the boundaries should be redrawn, Morley has said.
At the state level, Census data informs a five-member citizen commission tasked with redrawing the state’s congressional and legislative district maps.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
