The Cherokee Legislative Delegation has assembled a 13-member committee to give citizen input on local county commission and school board redistricting, which is required by law following each 10-year U.S. Census.

On Jan. 17, state Rep. Charlice Byrd, R-Woodstock and state Rep. Calvin Hill, R-Canton, met with appointees at an organizational meeting at the Holly Springs Depot.

Byrd, who said she is the point person for what she referred to as a “blue-ribbon committee,” said she has four appointees and the other three legislators living in Cherokee (Hill, Sen. Chip Rogers and Rep. Sean Jerguson) each had three.

Byrd said legislators appointed community members they felt could “bring something to the table” regarding how Cherokee’s local board should be structured and elected.

Both the county commission and the school board adopted suggested maps they have sent to the delegation, which has the final word on how the boards are set up. In early February, one of the House members will introduce local legislation that will move through both chambers to become law. A referendum is not necessary, Byrd said. The legislators’ final plan must receive U.S Department of Justice preclearance under the Voting Rights Act.

Legislators held a well-attended public hearing on redistricting Dec. 12.

Byrd charged the committee with giving its opinion, no later than Jan. 30. Also attending the organization meeting of the committee was Georgia State Property Officer and Executive Director of the Georgia Building Authority Steve Stancil, a former longtime legislator in the county. Stancil provided history about Cherokee’s form of government through the past several decades to the committee members.

Byrd said it was up to the committee how it organized itself and as to whether it issued a unanimous or a majority opinion. After charging the committee, Byrd and Hill left, leaving the committee to conduct its business.

“Keep an open mind for what is best for the citizens and children of Cherokee County,” Byrd advised.

On the committee, there are several active members of the community, the county Republican Party, and several Cherokee County School District teachers and PTA officials.

Members are: Cindy Castello, Lisa Marie Haygood, Joe Long, John Marinko, Janis McCali, Phil McCall, Linda Parker, Gary Parkes, Steve Sandridge, Michael Sinco, Deana Tepsic, John Wallace and Steve West. Long and McCall were not present.

Currently, the county commission is set up in eastern and western districts, with two posts in each. Candidates must live in their posts, but are elected by the entire district. A county commission chairman is elected by the entire county, and the commission employs a full-time county manager.

The school board consists of seven posts. Candidates must live in their posts, but are elected by the entire county.

The history Stancil provided regarding how Cherokee was governed began in the mid-1970s. Stancil served 13 years, beginning in 1989, in the state House of Representatives as a Republican, representing the communities of Woodstock, Canton, Holly Springs, Waleska and Ball Ground.

“Prior to 1975, the county was governed by a single road commissioner,” Stancil said. He noted the school board at that time consisted of posts, with representatives being elected just from their own areas.

“In 1976, voters had approved a change in the form of government and a five-member board with four separate posts and a county-wide chairman serving as a full-time CEO took office,” he said.

Stancil explained tempers flared and dissention was deep after the new five-member county commission enacted three controversial decisions: establishing a county-run ambulance service, approving beer and wine sales and instituting zoning laws. Many citizens felt commissioners would not listen to the constituents of another district and that citizens did not have the power to vote out a majority of the board.

In 1979, by 141 votes, the county decided to go back to a sole commissioner form of government.

In 1986, voters rejected a plan for a three-member board with a full-time chair, all of them elected county-wide.

In 1989, when Stancil was the junior member of the commission, the current five-member board, with constituents able to vote on the majority of its members, was instituted.

Stancil said party politics, as Republicans began to make inroads in the county, played a part in the school board being changed to county-wide elections. He said the change was an effort to thwart Republicans, and Democrats later wanted it changed back, but were unsuccessful.

There has been recent debate on the structure of both boards. The committee members spent most of their first meeting sharing personal opinions, if they had one, about whether county commissioners should be elected only by their own posts or by more than one post.

Some members wanted to see the school board remain at seven posts, while others wanted to see school board posts mirror county commission posts. Others had no opinion on one or both boards.

The committee was set to meet again Jan. 23.