Title
Discussion Regarding Process and Timeline for City Council Redistricting
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The 2020 federal census data used to redraw legislative voting districts for San Leandro was released in August 2021. The population growth reflected in the census data requires that the City Council undertake redistricting of its district boundaries. This report provides a suggested process and timeline for redistricting.
Staff recommends that the City Council Rules Committee review, discuss the information provided, and recommend the process and timeline for redistricting, as well as criteria for staff to use to develop redistricting proposals for the Council's consideration.
BACKGROUND
Section 230 of the Charter of the City of San Leandro requires district boundaries to be drawn whenever the results of the federal census show an increase of five percent (5%) or more since the last redistricting. The City Council last approved new Council district boundaries in 2011, following the 2010 federal census. The 2020 census data, released in August 2021, reveals population growth of 7.13% Citywide, triggering the Charter requirement for the Council's review of its district boundaries.
DISCUSSION
A comparison of the 2010 and 2020 census population figures by Council district is attached. According to the 2020 census, the Citywide population is 91,008; making the target, or average, district population 15,168 for each of the six Council districts. The attached chart shows the Council district with the lowest population at 5.92% below the target, and the district with the highest population at 3.26% above the target, while three of the other four districts are all within 2%. District 6 is 2.72% above the target.
If the Committee desires bringing the population of the Council districts closer to the target, criteria should be recommended for staff's use in developing redistricting proposals for consideration by the full City Council. Staff...
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