Greensboro City Council agrees on new district maps, despite conflicting recommendations

Greensboro's City Council agreed on a new city district map during a meeting Tuesday, and the choice went against the recommendations of a citizens' redistricting committee.

That committee and the city's planning staff came up with several maps this fall to rebalance Greensboro's council districts. 

The first was pie-shaped, with each of the five districts getting a share of downtown. It would have changed 26 precincts, obligating 80,000 people to vote in new districts. The majority of the committee's members favored this map. 

The second, known as the moderate change map, would shift just four precincts. That's the one the city council voted for, saying it would prevent voter confusion. Councilmember Tammi Thurm said she was concerned about making a big change with just months to go before the March election. 

“I think that moving almost 80,000 people at one time is very confusing," said Thurm. "I've heard a lot of negative feedback about that, a lot of problematic comments about it just being too much change.”

Under the pie-shaped plan, Thurm would have been moved out of her current district and into one where she'd have to face fellow Council Member Nancy Hoffmann for re-election.

Council voted unanimously for the moderate change map, which will now be sent to the state for approval.