Notice of Proposed Redistricting for the Etowah County Commission

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NOTICE OF PROPOSED REDISTRICTING 
YAH COUNTY COMMISSION 
  

TO ALL THE CITIZENS OF ETOWAH COUNTY, AlABAMA: 

WHEREAS, a Class Action has been brought by Dr. Spencer 

Thomas, Mr. Nathan Carter and Mr. Wayne Rowe, On behalf of 

themselves and all blacks citizens of Etowah County, Alabama, 

challenging the election system for the Etowah County 

Commission, in an action styled JOHN DILLARD, et al. PLAINTIFFS, 

VS: CRENSHAW COUNTY, ALABAMA, et al., DEFENDANTS, in the UNITED 

STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA, 

NORTHERN DIVISION, C.A.# 85-T-1332-N, and, 

WHEREAS, Etowah County, Alabama, and its officers wish to 

resolve the lawsuit and redistrict Etowah County into 

single-member commission districts thereby insuring that the 

interests of minority citizens and all citizens in Etowah County 

are equally and adequately protected in any redistricting plan 

proposed for Etowah County, 

NOW, THEREFORE, this is notice that a meeting will be held 

by the County Commission on July 1, 1986, at 5:30 P.M., which 

shall be open to the general public for the purpose of 

explaining a new redistricting plan for Etowah County, Alabama, 

prepared by the County Commission, and for the purpose of 

hearing objections to the purposed redistricting plan. The 

hearing will be public hearing on July 1, 1986, at 5:30 P.M. , at 

which time the County Commission will consider all objections 

presented, whether in writing or in person, from the residents 

of Etowah County, Alabama, and particularly from the minority 

residents and citizens of Etowah County. The meeting will be 

held in Courtroom No. 1 on the second floor of the Etowah County 

Courthouse on said date and at said time. 

The new redistricting plan for Etowah County, Alabama, 

prepared by the County Commission consists of the following: 

(a) The Etowah County Commission shall consists of five 

single-member district commissioners to be elected from single- 

member districts by the voters in each district, and it shall be 

the policy making body of the county. 

(b) The districts shall be equal, as nearly as practicable, 

in population. 

(c) The single-district member commissioner for district 

five would be elected in the year 1986. The four present 

incumbent at large commissioners, none of whose terms would 

expire prior to 1988, will be allowed to serve until election  



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was held for single-member districts one, two, three and four in 

1988. 

(d) Maps showing the boundaries of the five single-member 
districts will be available for you to view during normal 
business hours at the Etowah County Courthouse in Gadsden prior 
to the time of the above meeting. 

(e) There shall also be an Etowah County Executive elected 
by all voters of the county. The newly elected Chairman of the 
Etowah County Commission who will be elected in the November 
1986 General Election, and who would take office on the second 

Tuesday after the first Monday in January, 1987, will become the 
first Etowah County Executive. His term of office shall be for 
six years. 

(£) The County Executive shall be the chief executive 
officer of the County and shall be responsible for the execution 
and implementation of the policies adopted by the Commission. 

(g) Duties of the County Executive shall be extended to 
include the preparation and proposing of the county budget to 
the county commission in addition to those budget control duties 
given to the present chairman of the Etowah County Commission 
under Act 432, State of Alabama, 1975, as amended by Act 884, 

State of Alabama, 1985. 

(h) The County Executive shall have all those duties and 
responsibilities heretofore given to the Chairman of the 
Commission by the Code of Alabama and Legislative Acts, SAVE AND 
EXCEPT, those of presiding over county commission meetings, 
making or seconding motions at meetings of the commission, and 
voting on motions. 

(i) The County Executive shall not be entitled to vote at 
commission meetings nor shall he be permitted to make or second 
motions at meetings of the commission. He shall have no 
legislative functions or duties. 

(j) Compensation for the Etowah County Executive shall be 
that as previously authorized for the Chairman of the Etowah 
County Commission. 

(k) Etowah County shall secure the introduction and 
legislation to formalize this agreement in the Legislature of 
the State of Alabama and shall submit it to the United States 
Justice Department for preclearance under the Voting Rights Act; 
however, upon appropriate order of the Court, Etowah County 
shall implement the terms of this plan in the following manner: 
In 1986 the District Commissioner for the District Five would be 
elected under the plan. In 1988 all members of the Commission 
shall run for office under the plan, with each of them running 
for a six (6) year term. 

(1) The County Commission shall elect one of its number as  



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President who shall preside at meetings and shall set the 

agenda, but said President shall no other Be authority 

nor shall he receive more compensation than any other District 

Commissioner. 

The Etowah County Commission acknowledges that it has the 

res ponsibiriny of insuring that the interests of the entire 

class of black citizens are adequately protected in any proposed 

redistricting plan. If any black citizen, or other citizen of 

Etowah County, Alabama, objects the above proposed redistricting 
plan, he or she may set out said objections in writing and may 

mail the written objection to Mr. Jesse Martin, Chief Clerk, 

Etowah County Commission, Etowah County Courthouse, Gadsden, 

Alabama 35999, or by delivering such objection to the office of 

the Chief Clerk of the Etowah County Commission, first floor, 

stowah County Courthouse, Gadsden, Alabama, on or before July 1, 

1986; or, you may present your objections in person at the 

public hearing on July 1, 1986, at 5:30 P.M., at which time the 

Etowah County Commission will consider all objections whether 

made in writing or in person. You are invited to attend the 

Etowah County Commission meetinf on said date. 

 



ETOWAH COUNTY COMMISSION 
800 Forrest Avenue 

Gadsden, Alabama 35901 

NZ 

CLAIM CHECK 

  

674245 
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N R:=CEIPT REQUESTED Deborah Fins 

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1ST NOTICE of the return address. New York, New York 10013 

Zoom CERTIFIED 
RETURN 

  

  

  

  

Detached from 
PS Form 3849—A 

~ Oct. 1980