The City of San Diego Redistricting Commission held its final “pre-map” public hearing last week. The commission has heard from more than 850 residents and stakeholders during its first phase of public hearings.
“The Redistricting Commission is very pleased with how much public participation we had during this first phase of hearings,” stated Chairwoman Anisha Dalal. “It is fantastic to see so many San Diegans passionate about their communities, and the commissioners appreciate residents taking time to attend hearings both to learn about this once-in-a-decade process and to share important information that will play a crucial part in preparing new Council District boundaries.”
Public comments, Dalal explained, provide information about individual communities that is a critical component of the redistricting process.
“Not only are community members taking the time to attend lengthy meetings, they are also taking time to study the census data and create draft maps that reflect their ideas on where boundaries might best be drawn,” continued Dalal. “The amount of input received has been exciting and educational for the commissioners and others.”
Videos of hearings and transcripts of public comments are available online at sandiego.gov/redistricting, and information in other formats can be coordinated by calling the commission staff at 619-533-3060.
The 2010 Redistricting Commission will create nine City Council districts as nearly equal in population as practicable – about 144,624 people per City Council District, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. In addition to using census data, the hearings gathered public testimony from San Diego residents to help define their communities and their relation to those around them.
In the first phase, The commission provided 11 introductory and pre-map hearings, and held 12 regular public meetings at San Diego’s City Hall. As its next step, the commission will prepare a draft map of new City Council boundaries, incorporating the new 9th District approved by voters in 2010. After filing this preliminary redistricting plan, the commission will hold another round of hearings, likely to be held in July. The final plan is expected to be adopted in August.
