75B - PH - WARD REBOUNDARY - Laserfiche WebLink

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Public Hearing: Ward Re -Boundary May 1, 2018 Page 4 Re -boundary Standards When deciding upon a proposed map, the City Council must keep in mind certain standards in order to comply with the law. The following are mandatory for any proposed map: The Wards must be as nearly equal in population as may be (Elections Code § 21601). Exact equality of population is not required for the Wards, but they should strive to create Wards that have a total population deviation of no more than 10% between their most heavily populated Ward and the least populated Wards. Gaffney v. Cummings, 412 U.S. 772 (1973). Current Councilmembers shall not lose their current seat or allow a term limit reset for members that have served three consecutive terms of four -years each. The City Council may also rely upon the following "traditional' re -boundary factors when deciding upon a map: • Cohesiveness, continuity, integrity, and compactness of territory (Elections Code § 21601) Community of interest (Elections Code § 21601) • Finally, the following are additional criteria which are also acceptable to consider: • Traditional boundaries • Preservation of core of prior Wards Race may be a factor considered in establishing the districts, but it may not be the predominant motivating factor in creating the districts. Miller v. Johnson, 515 U. S. 900, 916 (1995). Race is a predominant factor if the legislature "subordinate[s]" other factors—compactness, respect for political subdivisions, partisan advantage, what have you—to "racial considerations." Id. Santa Ana, like most communities have taken a phased approach to implementing Ward - based elections. The City Council encourages the community to be engaged in the process. Comments may be sent to Ecomments@santa-ana.org prior to each hearing to be considered during the deliberation process. STRATEGIC PLAN Approval of this item allows us to meet Goal #5. Community Health, Livability, Engagement & Sustainability, Priority #1, Establish a comprehensive community engagement initiative to expand access to information and create opportunities for stakeholders to play an active role in discussing public policy and setting priorities. 75B-4