Commissioners reject Washington County Board expansion

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Washington County will remain divided into five county commissioner districts when redistricting maps are drawn up over the next month, county commissioners said Tuesday.

Washington County Board members voted 5-0 to reject expanding the board to seven members as it redraws district boundaries before an April 20 deadline. The vote came after a public hearing on the subject that drew no public comment.

Board members had expressed resistance to expanding the commission at a redistricting workshop last month, saying that despite metro counties Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin and Ramsey having seven-person boards, Washington County didn’t need two additional commissioners.

The vote came as the Board approved principles that will guide the county’s redistricting efforts. Officials said Tuesday that draft maps will be made public early next month.

“I didn’t think there was overwhelming support to increase government representation,” said Board Chair Dennis Hegberg, of Forest Lake, who represents District 1 on the Board. “But it’s an important issue.”

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