Lake County approved the new look of its board for the next decade at its meeting Tuesday, which includes a two-member reduction to 19 seats. As a result, all 21 current board members may be on the ballot next year.
While the realigned district map was ultimately approved 14-7, those opposed gave scathing criticisms of the new boundaries, with some members calling it a disgrace and others questioning if the map was legal. Those opposed included all six Republicans on the board and District 18 member Julie Simpson.
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Many of those criticisms highlighted communities that will be split up as a result of the new map, which includes all of current Districts 2 and 3, Lake Zurich and much of central Lake County. Some members also called the map gerrymandered, with Republican members saying it was unfair to them. Criticism of the process of how the map was made was also voiced.
District 3 board member Dick Barr, who had his district split into four districts around him in the western part of the county, said it was like someone put a grenade in the area. He also called the map, “gerrymandered and shortsighted.”
“It splits my community up into four separate districts … and that’s just a shame,” Barr said.
Simpson called the map illegal due to its lack of protections for certain minority groups, and said it was gerrymandered. She also criticized all the municipalities that were cut up, saying there was no reason for it. In past meetings, officials have said fewer municipalities will be split up this year than they were 10 years ago.
“I will not support an illegal map,” she said. “We should be better than this.”
District 6 board member John Wasik acknowledged that some parts of the county will not be happy, but said that no map is perfect. Still, he defended the process, calling it transparent and adding that the board made changes where it could. Other members also thanked staff and the work that went into the map.
“Despite the rancor, I think we need to move forward,” Wasik said.
During her final vote, which was in favor, District 2 board member Diane Hewitt apologized to her constituents. District 2, which oversees parts of Waukegan, Gurnee, Beach Park and Zion, was split up between the surrounding districts as part of the new map.
A few dozen public comments were also sent into the meeting, with the bulk of them calling for North Barrington to remain the District 17, rather than be moved to District 10 with Wauconda.
Former County Board member Judy Martini gave public comments and criticized the process that went into the map. She also said she didn’t feel like residents got enough time to provide proper feedback on the map. She also said it pits board members against each other, mainly Republicans.
“I’m completely disappointed in how western Lake County was divided up,” she said. “I really don’t believe that these maps are fair and compact.”
The redistricting process follows the census every 10 years and began toward the beginning of 2021. Over that time, the process has included several public commentary sessions, and a handful of meetings from the county’s reapportionment committee.
Early on, it appeared like officials may have to use 2010 census data due to delays in the 2020 numbers. However, after an extension was granted by the state, the county was given until the end of 2021 to get its new map turned in.
Following next year’s election, the 19-member board will be sworn in at a December 2022 meeting.