TITLE:
title
REDISTRICTING PROCESS USING THE OFFICIAL 2020 CENSUS DATA
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DEPARTMENT: CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE/CITY CLERK DIVISION
PRESENTED BY: BRENDA GREEN
CONTACT INFORMATION: BRENDA GREEN, (714) 754-5221
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Staff recommends the City Council:
1. Receive and discuss the official 2020 Census data (State-Adjusted), the redistricting process and permissible criteria to be considered to evaluate district boundaries.
2. Conduct a public hearing to receive public input.
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BACKGROUND:
Every ten years, cities with by-district election systems must use new census data to review and, if needed, redraw district lines to reflect how local populations have changed. This process, called redistricting, ensures all districts have nearly equal populations. The redistricting process for the City of Costa Mesa must be completed by April 17, 2022.
On April 6, 2021, the City Council selected National Demographics Corporation (NDC) for the demographics analysis of census data and to engage the public in the redistricting process.
In November 2016, Ordinance 16-05 was approved by the voters which amended the City's method of electing members to the City Council commencing in November 2018. Pursuant to the approved Ordinance the City is currently divided into 6 geographic districts, with a Mayor elected by voters citywide. The districts must now be evaluated using the 2020 census data and in compliance with the Fair Maps Act, which was adopted by the California Legislature as AB 849 and took effect January 1, 2020.
Under the Act, the council shall draw and adopt boundaries using the following criteria in the listed order of priority (Elections Code 21601(c) for general law cities):
1. Comply with the federal requirements of equal population and the federal Voting Rights Act
2. Geographically contiguous
3. Undivided neighborhoods and "communities of interest" (socio-economic geographic areas that should be kept together)
4. Easily iden...
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