Parish Council remapping focuses on minority population in west, who gets Berwick in the east

FRANKLIN -- Now that St. Mary Parish Council members now have had a look at three proposed remapping plans, a couple of issues have emerged.

One is about how big the African American majority should be in District 1. The other is about which dis-trict all or part of Berwick should be in.

At special meetings June 13 and 15, a consensus among west St. Mary council members formed around a new District 1. The Berwick issue may prove more contentious.

The new map is still a work in progress. A public hearing at a date yet to be determined will be conducted before the council votes on a final district map.

Redistricting occurs after each U.S. Census in most local political entities to account for population changes. The 2020 Census found that the parish's population had decreased by 9.6% since 2010.

The Parish Council hired the South Central Planning and Development Commission to develop a map for the eight geographic council districts. Three other members run at large for the 11-member council.

To pass muster, the proposed districts must be close to equal in population and must be contiguous, with no district divided into parts that do not touch.

Under the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the maps also are required to protect minority voting strength from being diluted. The U.S. Supreme Court's 2013 Shelby County decision means Louisiana governments are no longer required to submit proposed voting law changes to the U.S. Justice Department in advance.

But South Central CEO Kevin Belanger told the council June 13 that he plans to submit the plan approved by the council to the Justice Department as well as the Louisiana Secretary of State's Office "in the case you may receive a challenge, legally, of the plan that we will help you derive."

South Central submitted three mapping proposals for the council's consideration, all of which have three districts completely west of the Wax Lake Outlet and five to the east. That means the council can use the west St. Mary districts from one alternative map and the east St Mary districts from another.

The flexibility may turn out to be important.

Here are the major changes proposed in the three alternatives. You can download a .pdf all three alternatives at the link below.

Alternative 1

In the west, the big change is in District 1, now represented by Councilman Craig Mathews of Jeanerette. District 1 would expand around Franklin and move southeast into Verdunville.

The change makes the district less compact. But it also increases the African American share of the district's population from 51% currently to 54.5%. District 2, represented by J Ina, would have an African American population of 56.8%. Those are the largest percentages in any of the three proposed alternatives.

In the east, District 8, now represented by Mark Duhon, would lose its current share of Berwick and would be completely to the east of the Atchafalaya, extending east through Amelia.

Alternative 2

In the west, District 1 wouldn't go into Verdunville but would pick up some residents in the northwest portion of Franklin, resulting in a smaller African American majority.

In the east, Duhon's District 8 would move farther into the Berwick-Bayou Vista area.

Alternative 3

In the west, it's Ina's District that goes into Verdunville, while District 1 makes a smaller move into Franklin than in Alternative 2.

In the east, District 8 picks up Lakeside Subdivision in Morgan City while Councilman Patrick Hebert's Dis-trict 6 gets more of Berwick.

Mathews spoke up in favor of Alternative 1, which creates larger African American majorities in District 2 as well as District 1.

"That's of particular interest to me ...," Mathews said June 13. "I won't accept anything else."

Mathews may not have to do much insisting. Ina spoke up for Alternative 1.

"I can live with it," said the third west St. Mary councilman, Rodney Olander of Franklin. He represents District 3, which has a white majority.

The east St. Mary difficulties may prove tougher to work out.

Hebert likes the fact that Alternative 3 gives his District 6 more of Berwick.

He also said at the June 13 meeting that having District 8 stretching from Amelia across the river into Berwick doesn't make for a compact district.

After the June 15 meeting, Duhon said he won the support of 65% of the voters in the Berwick portion of District 8 in his last election. He takes that as a sign
that the voters there like the job he's doing.

Hebert moved June 13 to focus further deliberations about the east St. Mary district on Alternative 3. The vote was four yes, three no, with two abstentions and two absent council members.

The motion failed failed because it required six votes.

Click here to find current St. Mary Parish Council Districts.