Supervisors hold meeting to discuss redistricting
The Sun (San Bernardino, CA)
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Author: James Rufus Koren, Staff Writer
San Bernardino County supervisors on Tuesday said they want plenty of input from residents as they prepare to draw new boundaries for the county's five supervisorial districts.
At a meeting Tuesday, the supervisors laid the groundwork for a redistricting process, one they say will offer multiple opportunities for county residents to make their voices heard.
"This board has been very clear that they want an open, transparent process with involvement from the public," said Greg Devereaux, the county's chief executive officer. "We want it to be an open dialogue."
The next opportunity for that dialogue will be a redistricting workshop, one that will bring together county leaders, a redistricting consultant and county residents, said county spokesman David Wert.
The workshop, which has not been scheduled but will be held some time in June, will give residents a chance to weigh in on how they think district lines should be drawn.
The county has also launched a website, www.sbcounty.gov/redistrict, where county residents can weigh in.
The board offered county residents a few chances to speak at Tuesday's meeting, but only three spoke. Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Josie Gonzales said she was disappointed by the meeting's small turnout.
"It is a shame these chambers are not filled," she said.
She urged residents to get involved in the process, noting that redistricting takes place only once each decade. Redistricting always follows the U.S. Census, which is conducted every 10 years.
"It will be 10 years before we once again have this opportunity," Gonzales said.
After the June workshop, Wert said there will be two more public hearings.
At Tuesday's meeting, the supervisors approved a set of criteria aimed at guiding the redistricting process. Those criteria include making sure the new districts have equal or nearly equal populations and that the new boundaries comply with federal voting-rights laws.
Those are similar to the goals of the bipartisan commission that is redrawing district lines for the state Legislature and for California's congressional districts.
One notable difference between San Bernardino County's criteria and the state commission's is that while the state is starting with a blank map and creating new districts, the county's plan calls for making the new districts as much like the existing districts as possible.
"Each new district shall preserve the existing district's population and territory to the degree possible," according to the board resolution approved Tuesday. On the web
www.sbcounty.gov/redistrict
San Bernardino County residents can look at current district maps, see the populations of the districts and leave comments about how they believe new districts should be drawn.