October 7th, 2021 by WCBC Radio

Population declines in Allegany and Garrett counties could lead to a change in boundaries of Maryland Senate District 1 to include more of Washington County. That was a focal point of many of those who spoke at a recent Legislative Redistricting Advisory Committee public hearing at Allegany College of Maryland. The primary reason that could lead to a shift east for the district: a 4.3% population decline in Garrett County and a 9.3% drop in Allegany County. At the same time there have been population increases of 5% in Washington County and 16.4% in Frederick County. State Senator George Edwards, who represents District 1, recommended the commission use a minus 5% variance for population of the district when drawing lines. This, he says, would allow the people in office to represent their constituents more thoroughly…