Sharp to propose hiring of consultant on redistricting

Sharp to propose hiring of consultant on redistricting
Council president says proposed consultant would keep Council "at arm's length" from the process
By Kevin Kane
Current in Carmel


City Council president Rick Sharp said last Friday that he anticipated the Council to hire a consultant early this week to aid with the redistricting process, pending the Council's approval at its March 1 meeting.


Sharp said he initiated contact with Carmel-based firm Wabash Scientific, which has experience dealing with redistricting. Sharp said the services of this consultant are necessary to help make the redistricting process more transparent to the public and to keep the Council “at arm's length,” preventing any chances of politics interfering. With races for council seats on the horizon, Sharp said bringing in a third party would be good for both sides.


“I expect both the Council and the citizens of Carmel to benefit from this,” he said.


Sharp said redistricting is usually done following a census but added that the addition of Southwest Clay makes the process more urgent. Because of the agreements made during annexation and gross imbalances in district sizes that would arise if Southwest Clay's residents were lumped into adjacent districts, Sharp said “full-blown redistricting” is essentially the only option.

Though the redistricting process may be extensive, Sharp said it is important for it to be completed quickly. He said the more time that can be given to voters, especially those in Southwest Clay, and people interested in running for City Council to get to know each other, the better. With the addition of the consultant, Sharp said he's confident the process can be completed within the next few months.


“I would like to think that we can have this process wrapped up by mid-summer,” he said. “And I really think we can do it faster than that.”