The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-11-05
UPWARD PLAN
UP TO COUNCIL
City Plan Commission Sub
mits Map and Proposition
to Re-District.
ORDINANCE DRAFTED
Civic Council Originated Idea
and Endorses Boundary
Lines as Suggested.

proposition W feuisIhlSk ehe ""ANS
Of the city of Kenosha, with new
boundaries and embracing new terri
tory. constituting twelve wards in the
place Of the present nine wards, went
before the city council last night in a
report from the city plan commission.
The council received the report, or
dered draft of an ordinance, and
passed it to first reading.
The report, as presented to the
council, consisted chiefly of tenta-
tive map of the city, laying out twelve
wards, or three more than now exist.
This map was the work of j. F. Al
bers, city building inspector, who is
also secretary of the city plan COM
mission. 1t was accompanied with
recommendations that the plan be
adopted, approval Of the proposition
having been voted at special meet
ing of the plan commission held last
Friday afternoon.
The map covers the entire city and
proposes boundaries Of the Twelve new
wards drawn on population lines. Un-
der the tentative scheme each ward
embraces territory having a total pop
ulation Of approximately 1900 This
map is practically as originally drawn,
with the exception that the railroads
have been made natural ward division
lines at the suggestion Of the civic
council The proposition as it stands
bears the endorsement from the civic
council to the city council.
Population to Fix Lines.
In the discussions by both the civic
council and the city plan commission
it was decided that total population
should determine the ward boundaries,
rather than voting population figures.
1t was the contention of some mem
bers that in the increase 8of number
of wards the sole purpose was for con-
venience in holding elections, and not
20 create municipal government dis
tricts as in aldermanic forms OF gov
eminent, but the proponents of rule
by population were in e majority
and ward lines were, so drawn.
Impetus was given the ward redis-
tricting proposition by the turn of the
recent special election which abolished
the present eighteen member school
board and created board of seven
members in it's place, taking the cleo
ton of members of the board of edu-
cation out of the wards and creating
seven member board elected at large
over the city, as in the case of the
five members of the city council.
Heretofore there have been two
members Of the school board chosen
from each ward, and an increase in
the number of city wards would have
added new school board members,
making that body too large and UNI
wieldly, but with that drawback re-
moved by the special election the
ward redistricting question at once
came again to the 'front.'.
Originated by Civic Council.
The scheme was originated several
months ago by the civic council. Rec
concentration that the wards be redis-
tricted and the number increased
came to attention through the in+
crease of voting strength in certain
sections of the city and was designed
as a method of expediency in handling
elections. As now constituted the city
is uiNluSu lHIO ulHb WdIhS Will q To-
tai of fourteen voting precincts. The
first, second, fourth, eighth and ninth
wards have two precincts each, and
the other four wards one precinct
each. In the new plan each of the
twelve wards will have two voting pre-
cincts, or a total of twenty-four.
The civic council voted to redistrict,
and its recommendation was passed on
to the city council. That body in turn
referred the matter to the. city plan
commission, with instructions to draw
up a tentative plan and submit it,
With the diversified school board still
handicap, the matter lay dormant
for some time, but was taken up anew
as soon as the voters ruled that the
board of education should be reduced
to seven members to be elected at
large.
Ward Arrangement Changed.
Under the new ward plan the wards
will undergo an entire change from
the present arrangements. The first
ward will be located at the extreme
north, next to the lake, Wards two
three and four will follow in numer.
ical order south along the lake from
the first ward. Wards FIVE. six, sever
and eight will be in the next tiel
west, running from north to south
and nine, ten, eleven and twelve il
the third tier west, running from
north to south.
1t is practically assured that tn,
wards will be redistricted as mattei
of civic convenience,
The argument is being put forwar,
by some that in the old days of alder
manic government, with each war,
naming its two members tos the cit.
council and its two members of tn,
school board, boundaries based OF
population were justified, each alder
man then representing II certain con
stituency, but that it is now differen
with members of the council ant
members of the school board chosen
at large.