Redistricting—It’s Important

Redistricting will have an impact on the entire city as well as East Sacramento. It matters! The remapping is scheduled for approval by September 7, 2011.

Contact Steve Cohn’s office for information on how to participate.

916-808-7003 or scohn@cityofsacramento.org

Below is information from the city:

Participating in redistricting will give your community a voice, which is critical to ensuring that it has equal access to the political process. How and where districts are drawn in your City will often determine if your community can elect representatives of choice to sit on your city council. It can also influence whether or not your elected officials respond to your views, interests and needs. Many types of elected bodies require redistricting, including state, county, municipal, school, and special districts.

Every 10 years following the U.S. Census, the City is required to redraw the council district boundaries to balance the population.  In the City, we have eight council districts. Some or all have either gained or lost population in the last decade. The process of balancing population is referred to as “redistricting.”

The 2010 U.S. Census total population for the City of Sacramento is 466,488. In order to redistribute the population evenly, the target population for each district is 58,311 residents. By City Charter, the council must adopt final district boundaries within six months of the release of census data; thus, the council must adopt an ordinance amending the council boundaries no later than September 7. At that time, you will know whether your district has changed and whether or not you have a new City Council member representing you.

At the July 12th Council meeting, the council received four recommended district plans from the Sacramento Redistricting Citizens Advisory Committee. The four recommended plans were culled and refined from the original 37 submissions made by the public to the City. The Council will receive public testimony and begin deliberation on the recommended maps at the July 26th council meeting. The restricting process and discussion will continue through August with the final ordinance for new council district boundaries adopted no later than September 6th Council meeting.

Stay informed, be involved, and learn more at the local level, as well as what’s happening to boundaries of the state assembly and senate, congressional level and state board of equalization. See the California Redistricting Commission website, for updates.