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Apr 09, 2023

Stewart’s Creek #2 folded into Mount Airy district

Surry County Board of Elections Director Michella Huff recently announced a

Surry County Board of Elections Director Michella Huff recently announced a change to districts in the county that will impact which county commissioner will represent the constituents of, and who can file to run to represent the people of the Stewart's Creek #2 district.

"We have just updated the commissioner districts to reflect the redistricting of Stewart's Creek #2 to the Mount Airy Commissioner District, removing it from the Central Commissioner District," she explained.

This change was voted on at the county commissioners retreat in February 2022 and was meant to bring the four districts of Surry County into closer alignment with one another regarding the number of citizens represented.

Huff explained, "Nothing will change for the voters/residents in Stewart's Creek #2 voting district except for the commissioner that represents their district."

Commissioner Mark Marion currently represents the Central Commissioner district and with this change, those residents in Stewart's Creek #2 will instead be represented by the two Mount Airy commissioners, currently Commissioners Bill Goins and Larry Johnson.

Also, the precinct location at the Maple Grove United Methodist Church remains the same she said, adding, "This change will affect who can file for office in the Mount Airy Commissioner district; now any registered voter in Stewart's Creek #2 can file and run for Surry County Commissioner representing the Mount Airy district."

Huff told the board last year that population imbalances necessitated redistricting.

When she presented the data in February, the Central district (Marion) represented 20,476 residents equaling 28.69% of the county. The East district (Vice Chair Van Tucker) houses 13,288 residents while the South district (Chair Eddie Harris) sits at 13,387 residents. Mount Airy stands out as it is represented by two commissioners, Goins and Johnson, each representing 12,104 residents, or 16.96% of the county population.

Marion was representing over 5,000 more county residents than any other commissioner, hence the redistricting moved approximately 4,000 residents, or 2,700 voters, into the Mount Airy district.

No changes of any sort were made to the South and East Districts, which will each retain the same number of residents.

The central district will still represent around 2,000 more residents than the other districts, but the distribution will be much closer to even with the change. Huff said the target number for people represented by each county commissioner was 14,200.