Community Forums Scheduled for By-District Election Plans

REDLANDS>> Three community forums have been scheduled to provide information and seek public input on the city’s plans to change to a by-district election system in time for the November 2018 General Municipal Election. The three forums have been scheduled in different areas of the city in order to provide flexibility for residents who are interested in attending. Each of the forums will present the same information and residents are welcome to attend any or all of the meetings. Forums are scheduled from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 10, at Cope Middle School, 1000 W. Cypress Ave.; Thursday, Dec. 1, at Clement Middle School, 501 E. Pennsylvania Ave.; and Tuesday, Dec. 13, at Moore Middle School, 1550 E. Highland Ave. At each of the meetings, the city’s consultants from National Demographics Corporation will provide an overview of the 2002 California Voting Rights Act, implications of the law and relevant court decisions, requirements for drawing maps and a presentation of draft maps. They will also be available to answer questions from audience members. Draft maps from the city’s consultants, as well as maps created by residents, along with demographic information for each map, are available online at www.drawredlands.org/draft-maps.html for review and comment. On Aug. 16, the Redlands City Council approved a resolution to begin the process toward adoption of a “district-based” election system, replacing the City’s current “at-large” system in time for the November 2018 General Municipal Elections. Recent concern regarding whether at-large elections may violate the 2002 California Voting Rights Act led to the passage of Senate Bill 493 on Jan. 1, 2016, allowing cities with a population of fewer than 100,000 to convert to “by-district” voting by ordinance adopted by the City Council. In light of litigation and threatened litigation against a number of California cities under the California Voting Rights Act alleging racially polarized voting, on May 17, 2016, the Redlands City Council directed staff to seek an outside consultant to advise staff and assist in exploring a change to by-district elections in order to avoid an expensive and extended legal battle and to preserve the city’s ability to draw its own district lines. To date, no California city has prevailed in legal challenges against an at-large voting system. On July 19, 2016, the council approved an agreement with National Demographics Corporation to provide consulting services. Conversion to a district-based election system will create five districts relatively equal in population. Once fully implemented, each council member will be required to reside within a district and would be elected only by the voters of that district with only one council member elected from each district. Council members elected under the current at-large system would serve out the remainder of their existing terms before they are subject to the district election requirements. In addition to the upcoming forums and review of online maps, public hearings will be scheduled allowing residents additional opportunities to participate in the process of drawing of district boundaries.