Broward Politics: Group Takes Aim At Self-Serving County Commissioners

There is nothing electeds relish more than gerrymandering.

Broward County Commissioners gerrymander every 10 years. They draw their own election districts, excluding potential opponents and including the largest number of favorable voters.

In 2011, Commissioners:

• Stretched central Broward District One across Interstate 595 into a tiny sliver of Davie to include then Democratic state Rep. Marty Kiar It allowed him to run for that seat.
• Pushed south Broward District 5 across I-595 into a slice of Plantation to include then Commissioner Lois Wexler’s home plus her Weston condo south of the interstate.

“The lines are supposed to be drawn in a fashion that’s blind to political considerations. But political tinkering was done at the Dec. 13 (2011) hearing, without subtlety,” Sun-Sentinel’s Brittany Wallman wrote.

Now some civic leaders on the Broward Charter Commission want to end gerrymandering in Broward.

They are considering a referendum that would turn future Commission redistricting over to a non-partisan, independent group.

And surprise, surprise!