On Tuesday, the city of Davis announced that it released the first set of sample district maps that could be considered by the city council. Earlier, the council determined that it would convert to district elections, moving the elections from the March or June primary to the November General Election starting next fall.
One question that remains is whether the city will go to five or seven districts of roughly equal size, where the voters do not vote for the candidates outside of their district. The other key question is what those districts will look like and what communities of interest they might emphasize.
They have now come forward with five maps, three of which show five district options and two that show seven district options.
Paul Mitchell noted to the council that one key provision is that districts must be roughly equal size – within plus or minus ten percent of the average.
“There’s no way to get around the equal population requirement,” he said.
There are also the contiguous requirements.
Paul Mitchell said the requirement is “functionally continuous.” On a map, things could look contiguous, but if you cannot get from point A to point B and stay in the district, it is not considered contiguous.
“If you need a canteen and a map to get from one side of the district to another, it’s not really contiguous,” he said, noting the issue is more common with legislative districts, which often include mountain ranges as geographic barriers.
The council was split on the number of districts.
Lucas Frerichs for example suggested, “I am interested in the possibility of seven (districts). It lowers the barriers to entry. There’s ideally greater representation when you have more representatives – smaller numbers of residents (per district).”
Against it was Dan Carson: “I’m open to my colleagues getting whatever maps they want. I do think that five makes more sense from a governance standpoint.”
We asked Dillan Horton, the only announced challenger for next year’s city council election, for his reaction. He encouraged people to both look at the maps and come to the council next week.
He stated, “From my perspective many of these proposed maps have districts that are compact, that largely follow existing neighborhood boundaries, and are fairly easy for voters to understand. For those reasons I believe 5 Districts Option #1 and #3 along with 7 Districts Option #2 are the best options for the city.”
The schedule for input and outreach is as follows:
Saturday, Oct. 5
Farmers Market tabling for community outreach
Tuesday, October 8
Public Hearing at City Council meeting starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Chambers at City Hall, 23 Russell Boulevard. Action: Initial draft of district maps will be reviewed.
Tuesday, Oct. 15
Revised maps released to public – view on the city website at: www.cityofdavis.org/districts
Saturday, Oct. 19
Farmers Market tabling for community outreach
Tuesday, October 22
Public Hearing at City Council meeting starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Chambers at City Hall, 23 Russell Boulevard. Action: Council to select district map to include in ordinance establishing district elections.
Tuesday, November 5
Public Hearing at City Council meeting starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Chambers at City Hall, 23 Russell Boulevard. Action: Council to adopt ordinance establishing district elections.
—David M. Greenwald reporting
Another seven district configuration with balanced population could look like this:
I doubt they will choose a map where two members will end up running against each other.
‘Ya think?
Be fair.. that probability is only somewhere between 105-115% (allowing for the 10% deviation…)
This is seeming like a pointless exercise. Just choose one and be done with it.
Isn’t that a bit self-serving to make a comment such as this and then wipe out a very relevant comment criticizing it, when you are the only person on Earth who can do so? These districts are about people who LIVE here and VOTE here, not those who WORK or OWN here. That is the very nature of elections. You can draw a district to include downtown, but none of the owners of land or businesses there can vote, so what they have to say in that district is pointless because of the nature of how elections work. Nevermind the whole district elections thing is stupid and the City should have spent the money and fought it, no matter the cost. So yes, someone who doesn’t live here doesn’t care like someone who lives here does. There are some serious concerns with how some of these districts are drawn, so “be done with it” is belittling. The point of my comment is that those who live here do have concerns.
Those of us who work here, own businesses here, and pay taxes here have concerns about the outcome of this process of going to district elections.
Good to know. Good thing my business isn’t downtown.
This topic is getting no traction. The public is either uninformed, doesn’t care, or is just irritated that it’s being forced on them and don’t particularly feel invested enough to make any noise about where the lines are drawn. And since those lines will likely have no effect on the outcome with respect to the original purpose of the threatened lawsuit, I consider the maps and the public input to be pointless. Yes, I have preferences as to where my business would end up with respect to the boundaries, but I can’t think why that would matter to the demographer or the council as they craft the districts.
Why should your opinion matter, or mine? You’re just a number and an ethnicity as far as this process is concerned.
As far as the “general public”, you may well be correct Don… but the difference between 5-7 districts is important even if folk don’t realize it… and some groups (like in previous GP revisions) are heavily invested in the details, and will assuredly be the loudest voices… to impose their agendas on others… it what it is…
Yes, the great majority care not/little about districting… more focused on working (aka earning a living), taking care of their families, having a good dinner, having a good night’s sleep… most folk’s lives are really little impacted by what the City does or doesn’t do… compared to their “core missions” in life…
As far as Davis politics are concerned, we have long been a minority-majority town… folks in the minority get to dictate what the rest of folks have to deal with… a politiclly active, non-elcted minority holding the reins…
All my life, I’m told it’s good to be politically active. Then, those who are politically active get criticized. As Steve Martin used to say: WELL EXCUUUUUUUUUUUUSE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeee
Well, then come to a council meeting or send an email, don’t just call it a pointless exercise (even if you may be right!). It’s hard for me to call something ‘pointless’ when it’s based on a bad system forced on us through extortion. It’s like the formaldehyde cherry on the turd.
Alan, historically (going back 40-50 years) businesses (whether their owners lived in Davis or not) had more practical say with what CC members actually DID, than did residents… just a matter of perspective… things go in cycles… perhaps there is a movement for a new cycle… might not be a bad thing… but…
Businesses (include: developers) don’t NOW — you MUST be kidding.
You, of all people, should recognize satire (or, an attempt at), Alan…