Sussex County begins redistricting process

Sussex County officials have started the process to redraw boundaries for the five councilmanic districts, which must be completed every 10 years.

County attorney J. Everett Moore will head the effort, preparing a redistricting plan and proposed district maps for council consideration at a public hearing to be scheduled in the near future.

Based on the 2020 census population results for Delaware, Sussex County’s population increased more than 20 percent between 2010 and 2020, from 197,145 residents to 237,378 residents.

Each of the newly drawn council districts will encompass an average of 47,475 residents. Each district must be within 5 percent of that average, containing no fewer than 45,101 residents and no more than 49,849.

Because of the population growth in eastern Sussex County, Moore said, resort-area districts will shrink in size, and western districts will have to grow in geographic area.

Sussex County’s five-member county council is the legislative body of county government, with members elected from individual districts. Each member serves a four-year term.

As part of the redistricting effort, county officials are asking the public to offer suggestions on how new council districts should be drawn. The public can submit ideas by email to redistricting@sussexcountyde.gov, or by standard mail. Letters should be addressed to the Clerk of the Sussex County Council, PO Box 589, Georgetown, DE 19947.

Written and email correspondence will be accepted through 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 1.

County officials expect the process to be completed no later than early 2022, in time for county council candidates to meet residency requirements and file for offices on the ballot next year.

A map of the county’s current council districts can be downloaded at sussexcountyde.gov/sussex-county-district-map.