HomeMy WebLinkAbout(0091) RESOLUTION - Redistricting Task ForceA Resolution
NO.
APPOINTING A REDISTRICTING TASK FORCE
WHEREAS every ten years following completion of the Constitutionally mandated United States
Census, the City of Fort Worth analyzes its population and redraws the boundaries of the various single -
member Council districts; and
WHEREAS the City Council determines criteria and procedures by which it redraws Council district
boundaries after each decennial census, see, e.g. Resolution 3998-06-2011 (establishing redistricting
criteria following 2010 Census, which included establishing relatively equal district sizes, avoiding
retrogression, and working to avoid fragmenting geographically compact minority communities or packing
minority voters in presence of polarized voting); and
WHEREAS in 2016, voters of the City of Fort Worth approved an amendment to the City Charter to
increase the number of City Council persons to eleven (11) following the completion of the 2020 Census,
further complicating the upcoming redistricting process; and
WHEREAS the Task Force on Race and Culture in December 2018 recommended the goal of ensuring
that the City Council reflects the diverse communities that it serves; and
WHEREAS the City Council concurs with this recommendation and intends to act upon it by enlisting
the input of a diverse redistricting task force to provide input and make recommendations to the City
Council regarding criteria and procedures for the redistricting process following the 2020 Census; and
WHEREAS the criteria and procedures by which the City Council redraws Council district boundaries
after each decennial census can appreciably affect the composition of the City Council; and
WHEREAS the City Council desires to appoint a Redistricting Task Force comprised of eleven (11)
citizens to advise the Council about redistricting criteria and procedures;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH,
TEXAS:
1. A Redistricting Task Force is hereby established, consisting of eleven (11) members as follows:
Place 1:
Lorraine Miller (Chair)
Place 2:
Salvador Espino
Place 3:
Graham Norris
Place 4:
Craig Allen
Place 5:
Bert Williams
Place 6:
Linda Kennedy
Place 7:
Tony DeVito
Place 8:
Tracy Scott
Place 9:
Kent Bradshaw
Place 10:
Bill Schur
Place 11:
Teresa Ayala
2. The Redistricting Task Force is charged with evaluating the criteria and procedures by which the
City Council has redrawn Council district boundaries in the past and, accordingly, advising the City Council
about redistricting criteria and procedures that the City Council should use in the future.
3. The Redistricting Task Force may adopt bylaws to govern the conduct of its meetings and hearings.
All meetings of the Redistricting Task Force shall be open to the public and the City Manager or his
designee shall post a notice of each meeting on the City's website.
4. The Redistricting Task Force shall meet during the months of September through November, 2020,
to evaluate past and possible future redistricting criteria and procedures, reach preliminary findings, and
prepare an interim report on these findings for presentation to the City Council no later than December 8,
2020.
5. The Redistricting Task Force shall hold multiple public hearings during the month of January, 2021,
either physically or virtually accessible at various locations throughout the city to solicit community
feedback on redistricting criteria and procedures.
6. The Redistricting Task Force shall, by majority vote of all of its members, make its final
recommendations to the City Council by March 2, 2021, concerning the issues charged to the Task Force.
The report may include the position of the minority and any accompanying explanations of the majority
and minority positions.
7. The City Council may amend the charge of the Redistricting Task Force at anytime.
8. The City Council, in consultation with the Redistricting Task Force, shall make the final
determination concerning the criteria and procedures by which the City Council redraws Council district
boundaries after each decennial census.
9. The Redistricting Task Force shall serve at the pleasure of the City Council, shall serve unless or
until replaced by the City Council, and shall be subject to rules applicable to other City task forces. The
Redistricting Task Force shall cease to exist upon the accomplishment of the purpose for which it was
created unless earlier abolished by majority vote of the City Council
Adopted this 4th day of August, 2020.
ATTEST:
Mary Kayser, City Secretary