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Saturday, May 25, 2013
City begins redistricting process
by Kathleen Haley, published on January 18, 2011 at 10:11 PM
Storyline: 2011 Redistricting
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The Sacramento City Council kicked off the city’s redistricting process Tuesday night.
City leaders use U.S. Census data to rework district lines each decade. The city expects to receive the necessary data from the 2010 Census in early April, according to a Jan. 18 report by city staff.
At Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, council members discussed the idea of creating a citizens’ committee to advise them on the redistricting process, but they did not come to a final decision on that matter. The council unanimously asked city staffers to return in two weeks with details about the role of the citizens’ advisory committee. At that time, the council may decide whether it wants to form a citizens’ committee.
Councilwomen Sandy Sheedy and Angelique Ashby both said that a citizens’ advisory committee would limit the ability of citizens to talk directly to their council representatives.
“I was elected to listen to the people, and that’s what I do,” Sheedy said.
The redistricting process costs $160,000, which will be paid for by city funds that have been set aside for unanticipated expenses, said the city’s New Growth Manager Scot Mende.
The city has created a redistricting website, which can be read here.
Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.
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Really?! Did they REALLY say that?!!
I could understand that from Sheedy whose idea of citizen input stops at union$ but I'm shocked that Ashby, who knows citizens abilities when fired up (think her election), would somehow be limited if an advisory committee existed.
Sheedy and Ashby said that if the city set up a citizens' advisory committee, it would discourage the public's ability to talk to council members face-to-face in meetings. They said that it would be a more direct form of communication for constituents to talk to council members in meetings on the redistricting process. In other words, they view a citizens' advisory committee as a "middle man" between citizens and council members.
Cheers,
Kathleen
Pols know the weight of a conversation with a citizen is zilch but the weight of a public position from an informed group has merit. So if you have a politcal agenda (and really what politician doesn't?) you want to be able to say, "my constituents want..." and who's to disagree? Indivdual objections can be dismissed as antecdotal.
My hope is that the great democratizer, technology, enables the people to Sacramento to watch the chiken coop here and keep the process honest and with a minimum of gerrymandering. Good luck to us...the lines are already being drawn!
One of the coming Neighborhood Advisory Group agendas will solely be on redistricting.
BUT an appointed committee to serve the wishes of the appointers is not necessary. Several public meetings were held during the last census redistricting with some very good suggestions from the public. Unfortunately council and mayor went ahead and did what they planned to do initially in order to save some incumbents' council seats. THAT is why the central city was chopped up into three districts.
No doubt something similar will happen again. CM's really don't worry when a district like the central city has 87% renters, most of whom do not vote according to voting records.