The GOP's 8-district plan for the Guilford County Commission

Guilford GOP redistricting planA plan created by the Guilford County Republican Party to reduce the number of members on the Guilford County Commission from 11 to nine and the number of districts from nine to eight is the latest to be considered by the NC General Assembly.

The plan was distributed at a joint redistricting committee meeting this afternoon that included members of the Guilford County Commission and the Guilford County School Board. County Attorney Mark Payne said county staff first received the map at about 4 p.m. today. He said the map was part of committee substitute in a bill that the General Assembly is considering and that a final vote will likely be taken by Friday.

Democrats on the county commission and one Republican indicated they are displeased with the plan. Chairman Skip Alston said he plans to meet with Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-Guilford), but said he held out little hope to dissuade the lawmaker from pursuing the plan.

The state legislation does not affect the school board. Meanwhile, Alston said he wants the county to draw up its own plan independent of the General Assembly that is based on the current 11-member, nine-district structure. Alston and school board Chairman Alan Duncan said they both want to coordinate changes to their boards' respective district maps for the convenience of voters so that their county commission districts and school board districts will be shared.

Jon Firebaugh, vice chairman of the Guilford County Republican Party, said after the meeting that the party had drawn the map and provided it to Republican lawmakers in Raleigh.

Additional reporting and analysis to follow.