Mayor, Lawmaker Reach Deal On Winston-Salem Wards

A deal between State Rep. Donnie Lambeth (R-Forsyth) and Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines could end a dispute over the city's ward boundaries.

Lambeth filed a bill that would have split the city into five wards and created three at-large seats on the Winston-Salem City Council. There are currently eight wards and no at-large members.

The Winston-Salem Journal reports that Lambeth and Joines have reached an agreement and as a result, Lambeth will withdraw the bill to change the council's boundaries.

Instead, a study commission will look at how the council is elected and recommend solutions if anything needs to be changed.

Critics of the bill said it was a veiled way to dilute minority representation on the council. It would have lumped three black council members into one ward.

The agreement means that the city's council structure will remain as it is for the 2020 election.