Item B: Ward Redistricting - Criteria

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 Neighborhood newsletter articles  Informational open house, June 9 A summary of the feedback is included in Attachment B. Criteria Population range – Providing for wards of equivalent populations provides for equal representation, but can limit flexibility when attempting to reconcile other criteria. The results of redistricting generally are believed to support fair representation, accountability and greater responsiveness from elected leaders when wards or districts are closer in population size. Accounting for anticipated growth – On the one hand, “sizing” wards for anticipated growth might help equalize representation over time. On the other, predicting future growth with certainty is impossible. Most feedback received supports working with the most recent and reliable numbers available. The chart below provides a snapshot of growth by ward, and reflects U.S. Census figures from 2000 and 2010. Ward Total Population Ward Populations Population change (#) Percent 2010 2001 1 17,597 17,617 -20 --- 2 17,705 17,699 6 --- 3 21,003 17,768 3,235 18% 4 19,215 16,799 2,416 14% 5 20,047 16,572 3,475 21% 6 21,603 17,266 4,337 25% 7 19,449 16,829 2,620 16% 8 19,603 17,343 2,260 13% Grand 156,222 137,893 Total Incremental versus substantial changes – A small majority of survey respondents prefer “starting over” when drawing ward boundaries, though others lean toward keeping ward boundaries closer to their current configuration to maintain continuity for residents and elected officials alike. When preparing draft scenarios, staff expects to bring a mix of options in order to satisfy other criteria – giving council a chance to weigh the merits of different approaches. Incumbent elected officials – Staff received advice to develop scenarios that neither protect incumbents nor specifically target current officials to redistrict them “out” of their wards. Incumbents often want to keep the same voters with whom they have built up name recognition and goodwill over time, and some voters also like to maintain their relationships with existing officials. Yet, the City Council could be open to criticism if redistricting to keep councilors and EWEB commissioners in their current wards were made a top priority. Geography, and other neighborhood or ward features – Geographic boundaries can divide the population into different neighborhoods or communities, keeping a compact group of residents or voters together. But, following some geographic boundaries may fragment communities of interest or other groups of \\Cesrv500\cc support\CMO\2011 Council Agendas\M110627\S110627B.doc