We’ve seen it before in 2012, when the county commission district was reduced to 7 from 9 members by the outgoing Clerk et al.
While the commission which oversees the redistricting process appears to be a partisan collection of R’s vs. D’s in a 4-1 blowout, it’s not as it might seem at first glance. The concerns of Democrats in Grand Traverse County are probably overblown if they think Republican majorities will be favored in any way.
The Clerk, Prosecutor, and the treasurer are hardly partisan. They are simply competent functionaries of their respective offices who merely use their political affiliation to properly reflect the make up of the county which is still predominately Republican.
D’s need not worry, as these folks will bend over backward to prove they are not partisan and probably offer apportionment favorable to the D’s assuming new power on the County Commission going forward. By adding commission seats back they will add cost and confusion under the guise of limiting the number of those represented by each commissioner for proper representation.
In any event, the county remains principally Republican for now.
Maybe for another decade.
