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Home My WebLink About5. Proposed Redistricting Criteria and ProceduresPROPOSED REDISTRICTING CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES Presented to the City Council By Fernando Costa, Assistant City Manager and Leann Guzman, Deputy City Attorney March 23, 2021 Topics 2 1.Review of criteria and procedures recommended by Redistricting Task Force 2. Comments from Law Department 3. Staff evaluation of criteria and procedures 4. Request for City Council direction Task Force’s Proposed Redistricting Criteria 3 High Priority: Not in any order of priority 1. Approximately equal size: Population of largest district <10 percent more than population of smallest district 2. Compliance with U.S. Constitution, Voting Rights Act, Texas Constitution, and other applicable laws, with no packing of minority voters, no fragmentation of minority communities, and no retrogression in ability of minorities to participate in electoral process 3. Create minority opportunity districts, in compliance with federal law, to reflect growing diversity of City. Such districts --in which African Americans, Hispanics, and other minorities collectively represent fifty percent or more of the voting-age population --are intended to create opportunities for fair representation rather than to promote electoral outcomes. Electability is a function of many factors, including candidate qualifications, appeal to voters, voting-age population, voter registration, and voter participation as well as demographic characteristics. 4. Contain communities of interest in single districts, with community of interest defined as “a local population with shared socio-economic characteristics and political institutions that would benefit from unified representation.” Communities of interest may include neighborhoods, groups of neighborhoods, school attendance zones, and similar geographic areas. 5. Contiguous territory Task Force’s Proposed Redistricting Criteria (continued) 4 Lower Priority: Not in any order of priority 6. Compact districts, with goal of Polsby-Popper ratio >0.050. If any proposed district yields a compactness score that is less than 0.050, then a detailed justification must be stated. 7. Identifiable geographic boundaries, such as streams, railroad tracks, and highways. To the extent possible, dwelling units that are located on opposite sides of the same residential street shall be assigned to the same district. 8. Contain whole voting precincts 9. Contain whole census blocks or block groups 10. Do not consider place of residence of incumbents or potential candidates Law Department’s Recommended Revisions to Proposed Redistricting Criteria 5 High Priority: Not in any order of priority 1. Approximately equal size: Population of largest district <10 percent more than population of smallest district 2. Compliance with U.S. Constitution, Voting Rights Act, Texas Constitution, and other applicable laws, with no packing of minority voters, no fragmentation of minority communities, and no retrogression to avoid impermissible packing, fragmentation,or retrogression in ability of minorities to participate in electoral process 3. Create minority opportunity districts, in compliance with federal law, to reflect growing diversity of City. Such districts --in which African Americans, Hispanics, and other minorities collectively represent fifty percent or more of the voting-age population –are intended to create opportunities for fair representation rather than to promote electoral outcomes. Electability is a function of many factors, including candidate qualifications, appeal to voters, voting-age population, voter registration, and voter participation as well as demographic characteristics. 4. Contain communities of interest in single districts, with community of interest defined as “a local population with shared socio-economic characteristics and political institutions that would benefit from unified representation.” Communities of interest may include neighborhoods, groups of neighborhoods, school attendance zones, and similar geographic areas. 5. Contiguous territory Law Department’s Recommended Revisions to Proposed Redistricting Criteria (continued) 6 Lower Priority: Not in any order of priority 6. Compact districts, with goal of Polsby-Popper ratio >0.050. If any proposed district yields a compactness score that is less than 0.050, then a detailed justification must be stated. 7. Identifiable geographic boundaries, such as streams, railroad tracks, and highways. To the extent possible, dwelling units that are located on opposite sides of the same residential street shall be assigned to the same district. 8. Contain whole voting precincts 9. Contain whole census blocks or block groups 10. Do not consider place of residence of incumbents or potential candidates Task Force’s Proposed Redistricting Procedures 1.Registration for c ommunities of interest 2.Resident -produced redistricting plans 3.Plans to be produced by consultant 4.Selection of initial map as starting point for further mapping 5.Rationale for proposed changes to initial map 6.Redistricting as a single agenda item 7.Public hearings •At least one hearing after City Council has received plans from residents, independent contractor, and staff, but before Council selects initial map as starting point for map drawing deliberations •At least one hearing after City Council has selected initial map , but before Council considers any changes to that map •At least four hearings after the City Council has produced a proposed map 8. Transparency : Any communications to occur in official meetings. 9. Charter review task force 7 Task Force’s Proposed Redistricting Procedures 1.Registration for c ommunities of interest 2.Resident -produced redistricting plans 3.Plans to be produced by consultant 4.Selection of initial map as starting point for further mapping 5.Rationale for proposed changes to initial map 6.Redistricting as a single agenda item 7.Public hearings •At least one hearing after City Council has received plans from residents, independent contractor, and staff, but before Council selects initial map as starting point for map drawing deliberations •At least one hearing after City Council has selected initial map , but before Council considers any changes to that map •At least four hearings after the City Council has produced a proposed map 8. Transparency : Any communications to occur in official meetings. 9. Charter review task force 8 Staff Observations about Procedural Issues 9 •Sources of Proposed Council District Maps •Ways to Achieve Goal of Fair Representation Sources of Proposed Council District Maps 10 City Council selects initial map City Staff Interest Groups Individual Residents October & November 2021 Sources of Proposed Council District Maps 11 City Council selects initial map City Staff Interest Groups Individual Residents Consultant Consultant not necessary to produce maps meeting adopted criteria. ? 2018 Findings from Task Force on Race and Culture: Governance Disparities Attributable to Race and Culture •Inequitable voter representation on the City Council: History of drawing political lines… To favor one group/party/class of voters over another or To protect incumbents. •Low voter participation in majority minority areas, i.e. voter precincts in which persons of color represent 50 percent or more of the registered voters. 12 2018 Recommendation from Task Force on Race and Culture Appoint a Charter Review Task Force (CRTF) to specifically study and make recommendation(s) concerning an independent redistricting commission. The CRTF would… •Analyze the role of independent redistricting commissions, •Review the different commission models utilized throughout the United States, •Solicit community feedback on the redistricting process, and •Make a recommendation(s) to City Council regarding amending the City Charter to include the formation of an independent redistricting commission. 13 2019 Staff Advice on Redistricting: Focus on the Goal The goal is to create districts that, when drawn, provide the best opportunities to elect City Council members who reflect the diverse population of the City. 14 2019 Staff Advice on Redistricting: Appoint Redistricting Task Force Charge •Develop criteria and procedures to be used to create City Council districts for the 2023 election. •Present recommended criteria and procedures to the City Council. 15 Charter review task force not necessary to achieve goal of fair representation. Staff Evaluation of Task Force Recommendations Criteria Equal size Applicable laws Minority opportunity districts Communities of interest Contiguous territory Compact districts Identifiable geographic boundaries Voting precincts Census blocks Place of residence of incumbents Procedures Registration for c ommunities of interest Resident -produced redistricting plans ?Plans to be produced by consultant Selection of initial map as starting point for further mapping Rationale for proposed changes to initial map Redistricting as a single agenda item Public hearings Transparency ?Charter review task force 16 How should the City Council treat these recommendations… * To hire a map-drawing consultant and * To appoint a charter review task force? 17 Adopt these recommendations in the resolution accepting the task force report; or Respectfully decline these recommendations per staff advice; or Acknowledge these recommendations, but defer action pending further consideration after the 2021 municipal elections. Next Steps 18 Tuesday, April 6, 7:00 p.m.:City Council adopts resolution accepting final report and establishing criteria and procedures. Week of April 12: Staff begins to assist residents with pre- redistricting activities in anticipation of September 30 census data release. o Planning and Data Analytics Department conducts first in series of redistricting software training sessions for interested residents. o Communications and Public Engagement Department opens portal for registering communities of interest. Questions? 19 2021 Staff Advice on Redistricting: Recommendations Not Necessary to Achieve Goal •Plans to be produced by consultant (s):The City should retain one or more independent contractors (i.e. consultants) to propose an initial map or maps applying the criteria adopted by the Council, such map or maps to be considered, along with initial maps proposed by City staff and residents or resident groups, as a starting point for further map drawing deliberations. •Charter review task force : The City Council should appoint a charter review task force that would study and make recommendations concerning the advisability of establishing an independent redistricting commission . Upon formation, the charter review task force should, after providing for full and meaningful public participation, submit its recommendations to the City Council in time for redistricting to proceed on an orderly basis promptly after the 2030 federal census. 20