Bishop to Detail Petition Against Oakland County Commission Redistricting

Former state Sen. Mike Bishop of Rochester Hills will speak to members of the media today about a petition his firm filed on behalf of three Oakland County residents that challenges the Oakland County Board of Commission's redistricting plan.

The plan, adopted last month, has drawn criticism from Republicans, who say it gives Democrats an upper hand in county issues. In Rochester Hills, the redistricting proposal would create a new, incumbent-free district.

The petition, filed by the Clark Hill law firm to the Michigan Court of Appeals, names Mary Kathryn Decuir of Southfield, David Potts of Birmingham, a county commissioner, and Janice Daniels of Troy.

The commission adopted the redistricting plan on May 20; there was a 30-day window in which residents could challenge the plan.

A new upper hand?

Those who favor or oppose the redistricting might not agree on the overall map, but they do agree on one thing.

It creates a brand-new day in county politics.

“It does appear that it will be a lot more competitive,” county Clerk Bill Bullard said of the new districts, which would go into effect for the 2012 primary and general elections.

The changes mean voters from Birmingham, Rochester and Royal Oak and all points in between could find themselves with new representatives come next year.

The new 25-commissioner map also stands in contrast to decades of previous apportionment where the Republican Party had an upper hand.

With that in mind, the new districts are seen by some as giving Democrats — and, by extension, Democratic areas such as Pontiac, Southfield and the Woodward corridor communities — an edge in county issues. There are currently 15 Republicans and 10 Democrats on the board.

County Treasurer Andy Meisner said the goal was to make the districts as nonpartisan as possible.

“We were tasked with creating an even apportionment, respecting minority voters and following city and township boundaries as much as possible, and we did a pretty good job of that,” Meisner said.

Map reflects diversity

The map being challenged creates at least four minority-majority districts, Meisner said.

“It reflects Oakland County’s growing diversity, not just in terms of African-Americans but in terms of our Asian-American population and the growing number of people coming here from other places, such as India,” he said.

Meisner and Bullard served on the county’s five-member Apportionment Committee, and each proposed his own plan before voting on the final plan.

That final plan contains major changes.

Right now Republican Jeff Matis serves the 12th district, which is Rochester and part of Rochester Hills; Democrat Tim Greimel serves the 11th district, which is the western edge of Rochester Hills.

On the new map, most of Rochester Hills, including a northwest corner now in the 11th District, would be in the new, self-contained and incumbent-free 12th District. The city of Rochester and southeast Rochester Hills would join with northeast Troy in the new 13th District.

In the Birmingham-Bloomfield area, current Commissioners David Potts and Shelley Goodman Taub would be placed together in the same post-apportionment district.

“Protecting incumbents is something that wasn’t part of our job,” Meisner said.

Republican, Democratic influences

The county’s Apportionment Committee also included county Prosecutor Jessica Cooper, county Democratic Party Chairman Frank Houston and county Republican Party Chairman Jim Thienel. With Meisner and Cooper each replacing Republican predecessors in their elected offices, it marked the first time Democrats had an advantage on the five-member panel.

The new districts were approved on a 3-2 vote with Meisner, Cooper and Houston voting yes and Bullard joining his fellow Republican Thienel in voting no.

Reapportionment is completed following every U.S. Census.