BEMIDJI — The Beltrami County Board will not appeal a ruling issued by a district court judge ordering the county to start fresh with redistricting.
The board considered the lawsuit brought by former County Commissioner Jim Lucachick in a closed session Monday.
Ninth District Judge Christopher Strandlie ruled a five-person commission agreed on by both parties must form a new plan to consider the district lines.
Members reconvened after more than two hours of discussion and Commissioner Richard Anderson read a prepared statement before adjournment.
"We acknowledge the court's judgment and are working diligently to comply with the order," Anderson said. "As a redistricting commission is established, we will continue to update our constituents during the process and employ the maximum level of transparency."
Lucachick and dozens of other petitioners filed a lawsuit arguing the county didn't follow the law when it assigned new political boundaries in 2022.
The commissioner was drawn out of his district as a result of the map selected by a majority of board members.
The judge opined that the county failed to demonstrate its selection of the map was unavoidable.
Some of the other maps under consideration would have resulted in smaller shifts in population.
The redistricting process occurs every 10 years after the U.S. Census.