By Megan Ashley fink

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ — More than three years after an attempt at redistricting failed, the Natchez Board of Aldermen is expected to vote Tuesday on a new redistricting plan for the city.

The plan was presented to the public by consultant Mike Slaughter of Oxford-based Slaughter and Associates and attorney Chad Mask of Carroll Warren and Parker in Jackson, who is providing outside legal counsel to the city, at a Nov. 17 public hearing.

The city first attempted to redistrict its six aldermen wards in 2011, when pre-clearance was required under the Voting Rights Act by the Department of Justice.

That plan was denied, leaving ward lines unchanged.

The DOJ contended in May 2012 the rejected plan reduced the voting age black population in Ward 5 to 46 percent, and that the city appeared to have drawn the lines that way because blacks were on the verge of winning a fourth seat on the six-member board of aldermen.

In May, former mayor Phillip West, along with former Adams County Justice Court Judge Mary Lee Toles, the Rev. Clifton Marvel and Jacqueline Marsaw, both with the local chapter of the NAACP, filed a lawsuit against the city in may that alleges unequal racial distribution in the drawing of ward district lines. The lawsuit alleges that the current ward lines — based on the 2000 census — are drawn in a way that “fractures geographically concentrated African-American populations and dilutes African-American voting strength.”

Marvel, who attended the public hearing, said the NAACP would prepare an opinion on the plan and advise the board of aldermen of the NAACP’s approval or disapproval of the measure.

Marvel would not comment on whether the lawsuit would be dropped if the NAACP approved of the plan.

The board of aldermen discussed the redistricting plan behind closed doors in executive session on multiple occasions, citing the litigation exception of the open meetings law.

In the proposed plan, the black voting population increases the most in Ward 5, currently represented by white alderman Mark Fortenbery.

Under the current ward lines, blacks represent 57.5 percent of the total population in Ward 5. Under the new plan, blacks would have a 65-percent representation.

Voting age population in Ward 5, under the new plan, would increase from 52.5 percent to 60 percent.

While the black vote strengthened under the proposed plan in Ward 5, it decreased in others.

Total black population in Ward 2 went from 97.6 percent to 89.8 percent. Voting age population shifted from 97.6 percent to 88.6 percent.

Ward 4 showed a decrease in total black population from 73.2 percent to 71.8 percent, and voting age population dropped from 69.7 percent to 68.3 percent.

Ward 6 showed a drop from 36.6 percent to 28.7 percent for total black population, and the voting age population decreased from 31.6 percent to 25.2 percent.

Wards 1 and 3 were left relatively unchanged.

Under the current ward lines and the proposed plan, blacks have the majority vote in wards 1, 2, 4 and 5.

The proposed ward lines are based on the 2010 census. The current ward lines are based on the 2000 census.

The board’s Tuesday meeting will begin at 4:30 p.m. with the finance meeting and the regular meeting at 6 p.m.