ACTION REQUESTED:
Title
Communication from the City Manager and Interim Corporation Counsel with a Request to ADOPT an ORDINANCE Establishing the Attached Map as the NEW CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES.
Body
BACKGROUND: An overview of the initial 2020 Census data was presented at the September 28, 2021 Council Meeting and again on October 12, 2021.
At the October 12, 2021 meeting, Attorney Phil Lenzini presented an overview of the consent decree resulting from the 1987 case requires that the City be made up of 5 single-member districts, each represented by a single council member; 5 at-large districts represented by a single council member and a mayor elected at-large. Attorney Lenzini noted that if council were to consider amending the number of current districts, it would be a substantial change from the consent decree and may require the consent of the plaintiffs as well as an adjudication on the fairness of the proposal by the court. Attorney Lenzini cautioned that the length of time needed for a court process to approve any changes to the consent decrees' 5-district requirement would not be amenable to the current deadlines for redistricting. As such, the consensus of the Council was to keep 5-districts and reapportion as necessary.
Due to changes in population from the 2020 Census, the existing 5 Districts would require changes to their district boundaries to keep the district nearly equal. With a total population of 113,150, the goal of each district was 22,630 people with a maximum deviation of 5% [21,498 to 23,761].
To reach the goal of 22,630 people per Council District:
* the 1st District needed to expand by 3,938 people
* the 2nd District needed to grow by 1,555 people
* the 3rd District needed to grow by 1,113 people
* the 4th District needed to contract by 1,329 people
* the 5th District needed to contract by 5,568 people
The City of Peoria formed a Redistricting Committee comprised of the District & At-Large Council Members and chaire...
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