Carroll County commissioners are not giving up on the upcoming election.
They could file a lawsuit to have the court decide where the voting district lines will be drawn, or they could have five commissioners elected at large, not by region.
The Carroll County Board of Elections and the state?s Office of the Attorney General will make a recommendation to the county commissioners on how the election will proceed, though help from the attorney general?s office may not come until Monday, said Election Director Pat Matsko.
“We?re in a holding pattern,” she said.
But the district map could end up being taken to court through a lawsuit, said Commissioner Dean Minnich, a Republican.
“If no one else files any lawsuits, then we will,” he said.
A bill that would establish five districts for the state-mandated expansion to five county commissioners died in the General Assembly, leaving the borders undefined and the election process uncertain.
The commissioners may ask the circuit court to decide the borders, Minnich said, allowing them to reintroduce the map originally recommended by a redistricting committee, not the one supported by the state delegation.
However, the court could draw the district lines itself or delay the election until the General Assembly passes the bill, said County Attorney Kimberly Millender.
“There was no ?Plan B? if the redistricting bill didn?t pass in Annapolis,” Millender said.
In an e-mail to state policy analyst Dana Tagalicod, Assistant Attorney General Kathy Rowe said there was legal precedent for proceeding with the election, with five commissioners running at large.
“There?d be a resolution that way, but I don?t think it?d be in the best interest of the county,” Minnich said.
By running in districts, candidates can learn their constituents and their needs far better, he said, which would also make it easier to campaign.
Candidates on hold
While potential candidates for the county commissioner election can register with the Board of Elections, they cannot file for candidacy until the districts are resolved or the decision is made to have five commissioners at large.
