The Redistricting Committee met 10/11/2021. At their previous meeting, the committee had voted on proposed redistricting map “A” which met the statutory requirements for compactness, contiguity, and they believed at the time ideal population. Although not a statutory consideration, this map also hewed most closely to existing district lines and would have resulted in no alderpersons being drawn out of their existing districts.
At the meeting on 10/11/2021, the committee was presented both with a finalized “Option A” map as well as an unexpected “Option D” map.
Apparently, the state and counties had taken a long time finalizing the populations of the various census tracts used to create the city’s wards and districts. When the team creating the map calculated out the final population of each district they discovered there was a 13.7% total deviation in populations across all districts. The Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau strongly recommends that total population deviation be no greater than 10%. A deviation of that benchmark would open the city up to potential lawsuits over its district lines.
The only option the redistricting team was able to come up with that got the deviation in under 10% was the “Option D” map they presented at that committee meeting. Even there it just barely get in under that 10% benchmark at 9.5%.
While this map is still based off of much of Option A, it does result in some more severe changes than the committee had originally anticipated or hoped for. District 11 has been completely moved and Alderperson Kristin Alfheim the alderperson for that district will find herself within the District 9 boundaries. Alderperson Vered Meltzer (District 2) will be within the District 4 boundaries. Alderperson Joe Prohaska (District 14) has been draw into the District 1 boundaries.
Alderperson location and the potential of being drawn out of their districts is not a statutory consideration when determining appropriate district boundaries, but it is something that I expect most people are interested in. Alderpersons who are drawn out of their districts will be able to serve through the end of their elected terms and can decide whether or not they want to run in their new district.
Because the census was delayed due to the pandemic, the city is facing a serious time crunch in completing and approving their redistricting lines by the deadline required by law, and the committee voted to approve the “Option D” map because it met the redistricting requirements and because they needed to stay on schedule. It did seem to me that if they had had more time they would have preferred to explore other options, not necessarily because they didn’t like Option D but because they would have had more than one option to choose from and consider.
View full meeting details here: https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=896421&GUID=2B1C7872-0C37-43E9-8753-B7F0D9A216F6
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