FLORENCE, S.C. – Florence has redrawn its City Council district maps based on the results of the 2020 census. Monday, the City Council is expected to consider staying with the current district boundaries or changing them.
The City Council will meet at 1 p.m. Monday in the council chambers at the City Center, 324 W. Evans St.
At its Jan. 10 meeting, the City Council put the redistricting question on hold until the first meeting of the City Council after the 2022 general election in November to avoid rushing the process and creating confusion regarding districts in the 2022 election. The redistricting process would have been completed two weeks prior to the start of the filing period for candidates.
The city of Florence has three districts.
Three city councilors and the mayor are elected at large – all registered voters in the city limits. The three council members representing districts are LaShonda NeSmith-Jackson, District 1; Lawrence “Chippa” Smith II, District 2, and Bryan Braddock, District 3. NeSmith-Jackson and Smith are new to the City Council, winning their seats in the June primaries and November general election.
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The United State Constitution, South Carolina Code of Laws, Florence Code of Ordinances and the 1965 Voting Rights Act require the city of Florence to make sure its three districts comply with the Voting Rights Act once new census data is received.
The 2020 Census indicates growth trends in the three district since the 2010 Census data isn’t large enough to require the district boundaries to be adjusted.
City staff analyzed the data and doesn’t recommend any changes to the boundaries. However, city staff did offer two options with changes to the district lines.
The City Council has listed the redistricting plan as a possible item to be considered in executive session.
