Hey, hey. Welcome back to Operations Unfiltered, the podcast that takes you behind the scenes of influencer and talent management. I'm your host and your favorite marketing project manager, girly Zuryna, and today's a special segment that I like to call Baltimore County Unfiltered. It's where I break down what's going on in our communities without all the fluff or jargon. So if you live, work, or spend time in Baltimore County, Maryland, this one is for you. Let's get into it.
First up, I wanna talk about summer meals for the kids. You guys know I'm a big fan of anything that supports families, especially during the summer months when kids don't have access to school meals. Baltimore County Public Libraries is stepping up in a big way, and from June 23rd through August 15th, they're offering free meals for youth ages 18 and under. It's happening Monday through Friday at several branches across Baltimore County. A couple things to note. Meals have to be eaten on site.
So no grab and go options and it's first come first serve. So if this is something that you, a friend, a neighbor could use, make sure you plan ahead and be sure to check their website. I'll put the link in the episode notes, but for reference, it's bcp dot i nfo. Bcp dot i nfo. That's the best place to get a full list of participating locations and the times. Now let's talk redistricting. This is a little bit more complex, but it's super important.
If you've never heard that word, redistricting. Redistricting. If you've heard that word and immediately zoned out, please stay with me because this directly impacts how you're represented at the county level. So here's what's happening. I went over to baltimore banner.com, the Baltimore Sun, W-J-Z-A-B-C, Fox 45, all the things to collect as much information as possible.
And essentially, Baltimore County's redistricting commission has voted to recommend a new map that would change the current seven council districts into nine. Why? Because we voted for it last November, we voted to approve the expansion of the county council from seven members to nine. So lines have to be redrawn. And of course with any change, there's a little bit of pushback and drama.
The proposed map that the commission has come up with, creates two majority black districts on the west side of the community and two majority minority districts on the east side. With one more on the west, it sounds like progress to me. So that way there's equal representation across the county. But of course not everybody's happy. To get more context on what's going on and why certain council members are not supportive of the proposed idea.
I reached out to District Five's, Councilman David Marks, and I specifically asked him what does he feel constituents in Baltimore County should know about the redistricting or the proposed redistricting? And he says, quote, the redistricting process is required because of the expansion voters approved last fall. But the current proposal passed with a narrow four to three vote from the commission with the opposition from both East Side and West side representatives.
So even within the commission we can see that there's disagreement. When I asked him specifically why he opposed it, he said, end quote, the proposal splinters communities like Middle River and appears to be driven by partisan purposes. End quote. That's a big claim, and whether you agree or not, it highlights how contentious redistricting can be. We're not just moving lines on a map. We're talking about who gets heard, how resources get distributed, and how communities maintain their identity.
So now the nitty gritty, what does this mean for you? Why is this important? Especially if you live in Baltimore County, work in Baltimore County. Well, the new map is not final yet. That's the first and most important thing to note. It still needs to go through the county council, and that includes public hearings where you can share your opinion. A public hearing is scheduled for July, and you can submit written comments as well. You just have to email county council@baltimorecountymd.gov.
And if you're like me and just wanna review the proposed map for yourself, I'll include some links to articles that I've read on Baltimore Banner, W-B-A-L-W-M-A-R. I'll include those in the show notes as well. Honestly, if you're a Baltimore County resident, this is truly your chance to speak up before decisions are locked in. Even if you've never emailed a government office before, this is a great time to start because your voice truly does matter. All right.
So that's it for this first episode of Baltimore County Unfiltered. But before I go, I wanna make sure that I give you all the ways that we can keep this conversation going. So, for example, if you have a question about something that's going on in your specific district in Baltimore County, or you wanna highlight or raise a concern or complaint, send me an email at info@livemoreagency.co. That's info@livemoreagency.co. Or shoot me a DM on Instagram at Operations Unfiltered.
I'm here to break it down, filter out all the noise and keep you informed without all the fluff. And if you found this helpful. Go ahead and hit that follow button. Share this episode with your network like me on Spotify, apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast from. Until next time, thank you so much for staying unfiltered with me.