BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — As the clock winds down on a final Baltimore County redistricting map, council members Mike Ertel and Izzy Patoka introduced an amendment to the map Tuesday.
WATCH: Council members introduce redistricting map amendment
"This updated 2 one map does the best job of keeping communities together as much as possible while also complying with the Voting Rights Act in giving communities of color the most meaningful opportunities to elect their preferred candidates," Councilman Ertel said.
The amendment creates a majority-minority district in addition to two majority African American districts.
This is all being done in the midst of expanding the county from seven districts to nine.
But council members and some residents say they had little to no time to look over the amended plan.
"And then to provide or expect hours of time between earlier this morning and this meeting and expect to have a reasonable debate, completely ridiculous. There's been no separation," Councilman Pat Young said.
"I would make a proposal that we would give the public at least two weeks to digest this map versus the five hours that was given to them right now," Councilman Julian Jones Jr. said.
That's not the only issue people have with the map, with one woman saying she feels like the east side of the county has been neglected.
"We're struggling in this country with chaos, and I think that we need to show that we want to pay attention to all parts of our population," she said.
Maureen Wambui agreed.
"Baltimore County is quite diverse, so they need to focus on all sides of the county. If that means adding another BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) district in the east, so be it," Maureen told WMAR 2 News.
She said that neighbors need to be given more time to discuss their concerns with the council.
It's something she's even more sure of after seeing the back-and-forth between members at Tuesday's meeting.
"They should be more aligned in talking with one voice. Yes, everyone has their own opinions, but they should be able to project a good picture for the public."
The final adoption of the redistricting plan is scheduled for September 15th.
