As Baltimore County prepares to expand the County Council from seven to nine seats, draft plans creating nine new councilmanic districts are raising questions from residents about whether the proposed map accurately reflects their communities.

Given that, Baltimore County’s 2025 Councilmanic Redistricting Commission, the group charged with drawing the boundaries of nine new councilmanic districts, is faced with a tough task.

The commission is soliciting feedback from residents through public hearings. One is on Monday at the Middle River Recreation Activity Center, and another is May 19 at the Randallstown Community Center.

Both hearings will start at 6 p.m.

What to know about the plans

The commission says it is working to create a map that better reflects the diversity of Baltimore County.

The county population is nearly 50% people of color.

Its current council is made up of six white men and one Black man.

The first draft map, published by the commission in April, includes two majority Black districts and one majority-minority district made up of racial and ethnic minorities.

Some residents who testified on the first plan at an April 30 public hearing raised concerns about the map not fairly representing the county’s demographics, while others said it undermined existing communities like Catonsville and Arbutus.

One resident, Keith Dorsey, has proposed an alternative: creating two greater-majority Black districts around Woodlawn and Randallstown, as well as a simple majority-minority district on the eastern side of the county.

A second draft map, released Friday, was offered to incorporate feedback from the first public hearing on April 30 concerning comments about the eastern half of the county and the Catonsville area, the commission said in a statement released with the second iteration of the map.

However, publication of the second map “should not be taken as an endorsement or approval of the map by the entire 2025 Baltimore County Councilmanic Redistricting Commission,” the group said in the statement.

Why is redistricting necessary?

In November, Baltimore County voters passed a charter amendment to expand the current seven-member County Council by two seats starting in the 2026 election.

Efforts to enlarge the legislative body did not come without controversy before the election.

Some argued that the redrawn council boundaries could violate federal civil rights law and others tossed accusations about backroom deals.

Have a news tip? Contact Natalie Jones at najones@baltsun.com.