The Will County Board may develop a redistricting map controversy of its own.

Mistrust between Democrats and Republicans was evident this week when the County Board Executive Committee discussed a possible referendum to change the structure of the board.

The referendum would gauge voters’ opinion on whether the county should switch to single-member districts.

“I just want to know if the committee wants to put out a referendum,” board Speaker Joe VanDuyne, D-Wilmington, said as the discussion became heated.

Van Duyne, who chairs the Executive Committee, put the matter up for discussion.

Support and opposition split along party lines with Democrats supporting a referendum and Republicans opposing it.

“This is very political so I am very much against it,” board Member Dan Butler, R-Frankfort, said.

The County Board now has two members representing each of its 11 districts. There are 22 board members.

A referendum would not in itself change the structure of the board. But, if approved, it would give the board and county executive the option to switch to single-member districts when the next map is drawn after the 2030 census.

Discussion ranged from the practical to the political with some Republicans suggesting that single-member districts would be used to reduce their numbers on the board.

“I don’t think the intentions are pure,” Member Frankie Pretzel, R-New Lenox said. “Would you still support this if you knew the other party was going to draw the map?”

The board now is evenly split between 11 Republicans and 11 Democrats. But County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant is a Democrat, and she votes to break ties on the board.

Member Jacqueline Traynere, D-Bolingbrook, noted that single-member districts could not be put into effect until 2030 or later, leaving control of the map to whoever the board members and executive are at that time.

“We’re just taking the temperature of the room,” Traynere said of single-district discussion. “It seems pretty clear that it’s divided like we usually are.”

Party showdowns on County Board issues are not unusual.

Board members, however, also discussed whether single-member districts would be better government or worse.

“The citizens of this county deserve representation,” board Republican Leader Jim Richmond, R-Mokena, said. “I think that by decreasing the number (of board members) by 50%, that takes away representation.”

Member Mica Freeman, D-Plainfield, said cutting the number of board members with single-member districts would save the county $600,000 a year.

“The constituents will still be represented by one (board member in each district),” Freeman said.

Other members, however, suggested that the number of districts would need to be increased with just one member per district.

No vote was taken on the matter.