MUD district elections proposed

The Urban Affairs Committee heard testimony Feb. 11 on a bill that would authorize district elections for the metropolitan utilities district (MUD) board of directors.

LB1014, introduced by Omaha Sen. John Murante, would authorize the MUD board of directors to divide the district’s territory into seven election subdivisions.

Under the bill, the board would have until Feb. 1, 2016, to establish districts composed of substantially equal population and compact and contiguous territory. The board would assign each member a numbered subdivision for the remainder of their current term of office.

Assignments would be made so as to stagger elections to the new districts until 2023. The board would be responsible for redistricting following each federal decennial census.

Murante said the MUD board sees the value that district elections have for providing voters with better representation, but they currently lack the authority to make the change. At-large districts tend to leave some populations without adequate representation, he said.

“There are hundreds of thousands of us who don’t have anyone from our community representing us,” Murante said.

Ron Wanek, a current candidate for the MUD board, testified in support of the bill, saying district elections would promote greater accountability and transparency.

“When you live in the same district as your neighbors … you’re certainly more accessible and people can reach out to you and talk to you,” Wanek said.

No opposition testimony was offered and the committee took no immediate action on the bill.