Cook commissioner leading redistricting task hopes to learn from Chicago

CHICAGO | The Cook County Board will seek to draw new political boundaries for itself, and a South Side commissioner will be in charge of the process.

The County Board on Wednesday approved two measures:

• Creating a special committee that will draw new boundaries for the county's 17 districts to reflect population changes during the past decade.

• Placing Commissioner Deborah Sims, a Democrat who represents the far South Side and surrounding suburbs such as Riverdale and Harvey, in charge of the process as chairman.

To serve as vice-chair will be Commissioner Peter Silvestri, a Republican from west suburban Elmwood Park. Both Sims and Silvestri said they think they can work together despite their political differences.

In fact, both said they think their differences will pay off in a map that will not be biased in favor of any group and will avoid the perception that has arisen in Chicago, where many believe the new ward map merely protects incumbent aldermen over the interests of the public.

"I hope we won't have that (perception) on our side," said Sims. "We will do everything we can to represent everybody and respect their wishes."

Silvestri agreed, saying, "I look forward to doing this. I think the mix we have on the County Board will lead to an amenable conclusion."

Commissioner John Fritchey, of the Northwest Side, said he thinks county officials need to go out of their way to do redistricting properly and openly, to avoid the complaints that are being spread these days about Chicago city government.

"I have heard a lot from my constituents, a lot of Chicagoans are discouraged by the process," Fritchey said. "I hope we all keep in mind ... that people will be watching the process and what its result will be."

The committee will be responsible for hiring political experts to help them draw new boundaries, and also to have their efforts reviewed by lawyers to ensure that any map meets constitutional requirements. Commissioner John Daley, of the South Side, said money for those expenses was included in the budget the board approved for itself at the end of last year.

The resolutions approved Wednesday do not set specific deadlines for the redistricting process. But officials said they'd like to have new boundaries for the county commissioner districts drawn and approved by spring.

Such boundaries would come into effect when County Board seats are up for election again in 2014.