ANDERSON, Ind. — The Anderson City Common Council voted to approve new redistricting maps during a special meeting Tuesday night.
This follows a federal lawsuit that was filed in 2023 by Common Cause Indiana, Anderson-Madison County NAACP and the Indiana League of Women Voters that alleged Anderson’s six council districts were imbalanced after not being redrawn in decades.
4th District Councilman Ollie Dixon has been vocal about the issue, arguing that his district should not be included in the re-districting process since the 4th District is the only one in Madison County where minorities make up the majority of the population.
Dixon said the new lines may prevent many of the people residing in his district from making their voices heard.
“All I want is fairness, I want my people to have a voice and a seat at the table,” Dixon said. “I would hope that the community would understand and let the administration, let the mayor, those parties, those with the power, to stand up for all of the people. Not just a few. Everybody needs representation.”
Federal Judge James Sweeney II ordered the council to re-draw the districts in September. Negotiations ensued that ended with County President Lance Stephenson recommending that an outside consultant be hired to work with Dixon and the council as they shaped their district maps. Dixon was one of two who objected to this on Dec. 3.
Before Tuesday night’s vote, the Indiana General Assembly gave the council until June 2025 to create the new districts.
City leaders will now send the newly drawn maps over to the federal judge who ordered the redistricting.
