JAY — If all goes according to plan, the town will be back in the Franklin County legislative district when the next state election rolls around.

The Legislature approved a plan to reapportion state Senate and House districts last week. The plan has gone to Gov. Paul LePage for his signature.

Maine is required by law to redraw House, Senate and county commission district boundaries every 10 years to account for population changes reflected by the U.S. Census. The redistricting is based on the 2010 census.

Jay selectmen had requested the town be politically moved from the Oxford County senate district to the senate district that serves Franklin County.

Jay will be part of the new Senate District 17 that will serve all of Franklin County, Vienna, Mount Vernon, Belgrade and Fayette, Sen. Tom Saviello, R-Franklin, said Monday. Saviello currently serves Senate District 18 in the Franklin County area.

Jay is in southern Franklin County.

“It means we are going to be in a district that we have more commonality with, and it also means we will be able to work closer with other Franklin County towns on legislative issues,” Jay Town Manager Ruth Cushman said Monday.

Ten years ago, former Sen. Bruce Bryant, D-Dixfield, and former state Rep. Ray Pineau, D-Jay, suggested that Jay move to the Oxford County senate district due to the similarity of paper mill issues, she said. Both counties have paper mills.

The redistricting is based on the newest census and any population shifts, Saviello said.

“It was passed in the Legislature and will be in place for the next election,” he said.

NOTE: The story has been modified since it was published to reflect that Sen. Saviello currently serves Senate District 18. It was a reporter error.

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