title
REVIEW OF CITY COMMISSION ELECTION DISTRICTS (B)
recommendation
The City Commission: 1) receive a report from the Citizen Election District Review Committee and City Consultant Kenneth D. Wald, Ph.D; 2) approve the Committee's recommendation to postpone redistricting until receipt of the 2010 census data; and 3) authorize the dissolution of the Committee.
explanation
The Citizen Election District Review Committee (Committee) held its first meeting on May 27, 2009. During this meeting, the Committee heard a presentation from the City's Consultant, Kenneth D. Wald, Ph.D, who provided an overview of the redistricting process for the City of Gainesville, legal standards governing redistricting, the Committee's potential options for redistricting in 2009, and possible complications related to a mid-census review of the election districts (Exhibit 1).
On June 15, 2009, the Committee held its second meeting and heard presentations from Pam Carpenter, the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections, and Dr. Wald. Ms. Carpenter provided the Committee with the 2009-2010 Elections Office calendar (Exhibit 2). Additionally, she expressed her concerns regarding anticipated labor constraints and costs associated with redistricting City election districts in 2009 (three years prior to her Office's plan to reapportion precincts) based on the 2009-2010 calendar, which includes time intensive petition verification, file maintenance, and other duties imposed by law on the Supervisor's Office. Dr. Wald presented his research regarding current population estimates for the City of Gainesville, its precincts, and districts, and corresponding maps illustrating the estimates (Exhibit 3).
After hearing the presentations of Ms. Carpenter and Dr. Wald, the Committee voted to recommend to the City Commission that redistricting of the City's election districts not be conducted at this time and that redistricting occur after the City receives the 2010 Census data. The Committee based its recommendation on the following:
1. The Committee was concerned about the accuracy and reliability of non-census population estimates and using such estimates to redistrict in 2009. The Committee preferred that redistricting be based on the 2010 Census data.
2. The Committee was concerned about the cost associated with redistricting in 2009 and again in 2012.
3. The Committee was concerned about voter confusion due to multiple changes in voting districts as a result of a 2009 redistricting and a likely second redistricting in 2012 after the 2010 census data is reviewed and precinct boundaries are anticipated to be redrawn by the Supervisor of Elections.
4. The Committee was concerned about the impact of a 2009 redistricting effort on the Supervisor of Elections' budget and timeline.
5. The Committee was concerned about potential large-scale annexations into the City in the near future and their impact on any current efforts to redistrict the City.