[8/26/03]Vicksburg officials have begun the process of adjusting the line that divides North and South voting wards, and up to 1,200 residents’ voting assignments will likely change.

Before the next city voting in 2005, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen must realign voting districts inside the municipal limits to reflect Census 2000 results.

Numbers indicate a shift of about 10.8 percent in city population to the south areas of Vicksburg. That will mean that some voters will be added to the North Ward to balance district populations as required by state and federal constitutions.

“We’re starting this now so that we’ll have plenty of time to let you know before the next election,” said South Ward Alderman Sid Beauman. The line must be approved by the U.S. Justice Department.

Today, the line that separates the North and South wards begins at the Mississippi River at Fairground Street and runs along Bowmar Avenue, Stouts Bayou, Mission 66 and Clay Street.

Census numbers show about 11,799 residents in the North Ward and about 14,669 in the South. A plan drawn up by North Ward Alderman Gertrude Young would even those numbers to 13,224 each.

“I don’t see any problems with the Justice Department since it’s totally even,” Young said.

Young, who has served on the city board longer than her two counterparts combined, has been working with Central Mississippi Planning and Development on a plan since the Census data came out last year. The biggest change in the ward line in Young’s plan would be to include Marcus Bottom and all along the north end of Mission 66 from Indiana Avenue to Clay Street in the North Ward along with Drummond Street from Mulvihill Street north.

Before 1976, Vicksburg elected its two aldermen at large. The wards were created after the Voting Rights Act was passed and the city, on its own, split into halves one with a black-majority population and one with a white-majority population. That resulted in the election of Melvin Redmond as the city’s first black alderman. Young, in her third term, defeated him in 1993. Vicksburg has also had one black mayor, Robert Major Walker, who has been elected in three citywide votes and lost in two.

Vicksburg’s official population was 25,434 in 1980, 20,906 in 1990 and grew to 26,407 by the 2000 count by virtue of approval to annex more than 20 square miles of what had been unincorporated areas.

Young’s plan will be submitted to Central Mississippi Planning and Development, which will then make a recommendation back to the city board. The board will accept public comment and hold a hearing before turning the plan into the U.S. Justice Department for approval.

Warren County completed five- and three-district plans for county elections and they received federal approval for this year’s voting.

In other matters the city board:

Received proposals for refinancing two ambulances purchased last year as a lease purchase.

Declared Labor Day a city holiday and authorized city employees to have the day off with pay.

Entered an agreement with Alford Engineering for plans to upgrade equipment at the sewage treatment plant.

Entered an agreement with Allen & Hoshall for a study of the municipal natural gas system and recommendations for improvement.

Entered a project-cooperation agreement with the U.S. Army for six new water wells to be constructed next year, using $2.7 million in federal grant money and bond money.

Established a review committee for the urban renewal project area for the disposition policy. The committee members will be the city planner, city architect and building inspector.

Declared property surplus and authorized its sale at an auction Sept. 6 in Jackson.

The city board will meet again at 10 a.m. Sept. 2 at City Hall Annex.