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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST SPECIAL SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1556H.P. 1014House of Representatives, April 10, 2025
Resolve, Regarding Increasing the Number of Kennebec County
Commissioners
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative COLLINS of Sidney. Page 1 - 132LR1984(01)1 That the Kennebec County
2 commissioners may establish an apportionment commission, referred to in this resolve as
3 "the commission," in accordance with the procedure established in the Constitution of
4 Maine, Article IV, Part Third, Section 1-A to apportion the Kennebec County
5 commissioner districts to increase the number of county commissioner districts in
6 Kennebec County. If the Kennebec County commissioners establish an apportionment
7 commission, the commission, by October 1, 2026, shall develop a plan with maps to
8 increase the number of county commissioner districts from 3 to 5. The plan must include
9 the initial terms of office for each county commissioner district. The plan to increase the
10 number of districts must designate 2 commissioners to have 2-year initial terms and 3
11 commissioners to have 4-year initial terms.
12 That the Kennebec County
13 commissioners may submit the plan developed pursuant to section 1 to the voters of
14 Kennebec County at the statewide election held in November 2026. The method of voting
15 and the conduct of the referendum are governed by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 21-A,
16 and the county commissioners or county administrator shall perform the duties of the
17 Secretary of State prescribed by Title 21-A in the same manner as county commissioners
18 and county administrators are required to do in the case of a county bond referendum
19 election held pursuant to Title 30-A, section 938. The subject matter of this resolve must
20 be reduced to the following question:
21 "Do you favor increasing the number of Kennebec County commissioner
22 districts from 3 to 5 and staggering the terms of the 5 county
23 commissioners beginning in 2028?"
24 The voters shall indicate their opinion on this question by a cross or check mark placed
25 against the word "Yes" or "No." The question must be approved by a majority of the legal
26 voters casting ballots at the referendum election.
27 The results of the referendum must be declared by the county commissioners or county
28 administrator and due certificate filed with the Secretary of State within 10 days after the
29 date of the election.
30 That, if the referendum question
31 submitted to the legal voters of Kennebec County in accordance with section 2 passes by
32 majority vote, the plan developed in accordance with section 1 must be submitted by the
33 commission to the Clerk of the House of Representatives no later than January 15, 2027
34 for enactment by the 133rd Legislature in 2027.
35 That the election of
36 Kennebec County commissioners in the reapportioned districts approved pursuant to
37 section 3 must take place at the statewide election held in November 2028.
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39 This resolve proposes to increase the number of commissioners for Kennebec County
40 from 3 to 5. The resolve will put the question out to the voters of Kennebec County in
41 November 2026.
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