By JIM BUTLER

Shifting post-Census election district boundaries to benefit incumbents or one party or another is a time-honored practice in the halls of government. Shifting them after revision and adoption is another matter.

That’s where the Alexandria City Council finds itself with District 4 member Lizzie Felter’s proposal to amend and reenact the boundaries of Districts 2, 3 and 4.

A special council meeting will hear the matter at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

The Rapides Area Planning Commission recommendation on redrawing and reapportioning the districts is shown in maps on display at City Hall.

Districts reapportioned on the basis of the 2020 Census were adopted by ordinance in the Fall of 2022, to take effect with the regularly scheduled 2024 election.

Felter’s revised 4 as well as 1, 2 and 3 at the time had about 9,000 residents. District 5 was drawn with about 700 fewer to allow for expected growth in West Alexandria.

Adopting a new election map a year following the Census has been standard practice since 1981. Problems posed by the COVID pandemic contributed to the delay after the 2020 count. 

What prompts the proposed revisions has yet to be aired.

An aside: Catherine Davidson, who held the District 4 seat at the time, would have resided in District 3 under the new boundaries.

She gave up the seat to run for mayor in 2022, with Felter elected to succeed her. Davidson had defeated Felter in the 2021 council elections.

District 4 stretches from Bolton Avenue to Horseshoe Drive, Coliseum Boulevard to Masonic Drive, dipping and turning as districts are wont to do to garner proper population counts.

Felter has denied assertions by some that she does not live within the current district. (The Rapides Parish Journal chooses not to list her street and house number). The city charter requires such residency.

However, it also requires two-year residency in a district before taking office.

Clearly a council member with a residence shifted to a redrawn district cannot do both. How that Gordian knot is untied, if at all, could be decided Wednesday.