Ector County commissioners at 10 a.m. today will review an Austin law firm’s findings about redrawing three of the four commissioners’ precincts, three of which, the firm recently reported, are seriously out of balance.
Based on last year’s Census, Precinct 2 meets U.S. Justice Department guidelines while Precinct 1 is way overpopulated and Precincts 2 and 3 have far too few residents, said David Mendez of Bickerstaff, Heath, Delgado and Acosta.
Reporting that the county’s total population was 164,399, Mendez told the court last Thursday that Greg Simmons’ Precinct 2 had 41,505 people and was within 1 percent of the required 41,098, but Precinct 1 Commissioner Mike Gardner was representing 53,831, Precinct 3 Commissioner Don Stringer 32,457 and Precinct 4 Commissioner Armando Rodriguez 36,596.
“We need to move population or territory from Precinct 1 to 3 and 4 so we can get it even,” the attorney said.
Precinct 1 encompasses western Odessa and the west side of the county, Precinct 2 northeast Odessa and the Gardendale area, Precinct 3 most of the city and Precinct 4 southeast Odessa and the county’s south side.
In other business, the court will take up two library-related matters — appointing a permanent advisory library committee and making a $49,038 donation by the county to the Friends of Ector County Library.
The commissioners will also:
>> Consider appointing, at Gardner’s request, Shawn Oglesby to the 9-1-1 Emergency Board of Directors, effective till Sept. 30, 2023.
>> Reauthorize the annual grant to Odessa Meals on Wheels.
>> Appoint Jennifer Martin, Lindy Wright, Kevin Mann, Patricia Patton, Randy Donner, Shawn Callendar and Simmons to the salary committee.
>> Review advertising for bids for the medical examiner’s transportation services.
>> Consider awarding a contract to Axon Enterprise of Scottsdale, Ariz., for TASERs for the sheriff’s office.
>> Discuss amending the county’s contract with Tyler Technologies of Plano and adding 11 users of Odyssey Online Licensed Software for the City of Odessa.
>> Consider authorizing the building maintenance department to pay new employees $16.57 per hour.
>> Review Coliseum Director Aaron Martin’s proposal to hire an event coordinator $18.93 per hour.
