Charlotte City Council OKs redistricting map including Hidden Valley changes

CHARLOTTE — As Charlotte City Council members walked into the chamber on Monday night, it sounded like an opposing basketball team’s starting lineup was being introduced.

Dozens of Hidden Valley residents chanted and wore medical smocks to protect against “contamination.”

“Our elected officials are contaminated with corruption, and we don’t want to get any of that contamination on us,” resident Cedric Dean said.

Prior to voting on a new redistricting map, Charlotte City Council members told Hidden Valley residents the move was being made to balance out the districts in accordance with the law.

Councilwoman Renee Johnson stressed that the neighborhood is not being targeted.

“I hope the citizens of District 4 will hear this information in the spirit in which it is offered, to base our opinions and actions on truth and facts and not rumor and not slander,” she said.

Johnson and Councilwoman Victoria Watlington pointed out that Hidden Valley’s new home, District 1, will now be 51% Democratic. Of those voters, 56% are Black. There will be an open seat this election, and they stressed that Hidden Valley will have power.

“This plan could actually strengthen our power on the dais and in the city,” Johnson said.

“We are in a position in an open race to hand pick our elected,” Watlington said. “Hidden Valley is not losing. You are winning. Respond.”

For the moment, the response is a lawsuit that aims to strike down the districts.

“They took their knives tonight and stabbed Hidden Valley in the heart,” Dean said. “We are not going to go down quietly. We are going to make sure people are held accountable.”

On Saturday, the city of Charlotte asked for a judge to dismiss the lawsuit filed by two Hidden Valley residents.

Hidden Valley voters said they worry they won’t have adequate representation in their new district.

“There is a cohesiveness there that we want to keep, that we want to maintain,” precinct chair Ronald McIlwain said. “We don’t want to be blended in with someone else.”

The map was drawn by a third-party consultant, not the City Council directly.

There are 16 precincts that will move districts as a result of the city’s vote. The council approved the vote on a 10-1 margin. Councilman Braxton Winston voted no.

Precincts changing:

• Moves precinct 1 from District 1 to District 6
• Moves precinct 5 from District 1 to District 5
• Moves precinct 8 from District 1 to District 6
• Moves precinct 18 from District 1 to District 6
• Moves precinct 23 from District 3 to District 2
• Moves precinct 24 from District 3 to District 2
• Moves precinct 26 from District 4 to District 1
• Moves precinct 35 from District 1 to District 6
• Moves precinct 37 from District 6 to District 1
• Moves precinct 42 from District 4 to District 1
• Moves precinct 45 from District 1 to District 5
• Moves precinct 54 from District 2 to District 1
• Moves precinct 81 from District 3 to District 2
• Moves precinct 82 from District 4 to District 1
• Moves precinct 205 from District 4 to District 5
• Moves precinct 211 from District 2 to District 4

(WATCH BELOW: Expert says power of redistricting helped Republicans)

Expert says power of redistricting helped Republicans Expert says power of redistricting helped Republicans

©2021 Cox Media Group