The state of South Carolina made headlines when it added a 7th Congressional District on Tuesday, but Richland County made similar changes on a smaller scale.

The County Council voted to adjust Richland district lines based on 2010 Census data. While the process took time, members of the council said it was the smoothest redistricting process they had experienced.

The new districts must be approved by the state Justice Department before they become official, but the council passed them unanimously and commended the committee that worked on the project for a job well-done.

Councilman Jim Manning of District 8 and councilwoman Val Hutchinson of District 9 will continue to represent the Spring Valley area, despite the changes.

District 3, which is represented by councilman Damon Jeter, will also stretch into the Spring Valley area along Two Notch Road and District 7, represented by councilwoman Gwendolyn Kennedy, will keep its presence in the Northwest part of the region near Farrow Road.

All of the districts will include between 34,000 and 35,000 citizens. The committee considered demographics in addition to population changes when making the redistricting decisions.