Members of the Little Rock Board of Directors on Tuesday approved an ordinance submitted by Vice Mayor Lance Hines of Ward 5 to definitively place the responsibility for redrawing ward boundaries after the 2020 census with the city manager.
The ordinance's language says the city manager can get assistance from any individuals he chooses, as well as the city attorney on legal issues. It also provides for at least one public meeting to hear comments.
The redistricting work would have to be completed by Nov. 30 and taken up for a vote by the city board at its Dec. 7 meeting, according to the ordinance.
The measure was approved in a voice vote.
Before the vote, in comments during the meeting at-large City Director Antwan Phillips called the measure unnecessary and suggested it invites a fight.
In response to the criticism from Phillips, Hines suggested the discussion that had taken place earlier during Tuesday's meeting -- which concerned the rift between the city attorney and outside lawyers over the proposed settlement related to a 2019 police shooting -- meant city directors needed to pass the ordinance.
Noting that only two employees -- the city manager and the city attorney -- report to the city board, Hines said that he gladly takes the mayor's input on what he thinks the map should look like, "but I think ourselves, as the governing body in consultation with our two employees, should be the deciding factor on this."
He added that the ordinance "just codifies and clarifies exactly what that procedure is."
One day earlier, Mayor Frank Scott Jr. had provided board members with two draft redistricting maps, which he said had been prepared by the city's planning staff.
One map would largely maintain the existing boundaries of the city's seven wards whereas the other would make more substantial changes as part of Scott's effort to end the reliance on Interstate 630 as a dividing line, among the mayor's other stated priorities for the redistricting process.
The board's structure provides for three at-large seats in addition to the seven ward representatives.