BALTIMORE, MD (WBFF) — As the Baltimore County Council is set to expand, council members are considering legislation that would create a redistricting commission.

Baltimore County voters recently passed a charter amendment, which will increase the county council from seven to nine members. A redistricting map, which had previously sparked controversy, was included as part of the charter amendment.

“The way we did it reeks of behind-the-scenes politics,” County Council member Pat Young said before the election.

“I was concerned that there wasn’t any real public input into the system, into the process,” said county council member Wade Kach.

Many lawmakers even signed a letter from the ACLU calling the redistricting plan and map “unlawful” and saying they violated the federal Voting Rights Act. The letter continued to threaten legal action.

However, a few weeks later, after the charter amendment passed, all members of the county council except Julian Jones signed a bill that would create a redistricting commission, charged with draw a new map.

“There was always the intention to create a redistricting commission. In other words, if you read the legislation, you’ll see it still says we can change the map until October 1, 2025,” the president said of the departmental council, Izzy Patoka. “The map that was approved earlier was actually a concept map. It was a map that would allow us to put a measure on the ballot.”

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Each member of the county council will nominate someone for the commission, who will then be appointed by vote of the council. The redistricting commission must hold at least three public hearings, then make a final recommendation to the Council by June 2025. The redistricting commission will draw its own district boundaries, and it will then be up to the county council to accept or modify those changes.

“The public will have ample opportunity to comment on this topic,” Patoka said.

Although the bill has strong support, not all Council members agree.

“I didn’t sign to be completely clear. I’m concerned that this process is going backwards and it almost seems like a cover-up,” Jones said.

Jones said the county charter defines the redistricting process, which includes a redistricting commission.

“This is a process that doesn’t involve any of that, it’s a process that literally took place behind the scenes, among several people, in an effort to get their votes, and it goes to the “against free and fair elections,” he added. “Jones said.

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However, Patoka said the charter only refers to the decennial census.

“The charter does not provide for a redistricting commission during this 10-year period,” Patoka said. “So we don’t have direct charter guidelines on this, but we try to stay within a certain area of ​​the charter concept.”

“In the absence of the census, there are still enough guidelines that we should follow, and in this case, we followed none of them,” Jones said.

Political back-and-forth aside, Jones said he agrees a new redistricting map is needed and said he would consider voting for the new legislation on the December ballot.

“I just want the citizens of Baltimore County to have a fair chance to elect the representatives they want,” Jones said.