Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, February 01, 2022
Discussion
SUBJECT:
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CONSIDER THE REDISTRICTING OF ESTABLISHED CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS BASED ON THE RESULTS OF THE 2020 DECENNIAL CENSUS ON REDISTRICTING, AND REVIEW OF DRAFT MAP #3 AND DRAFT MAP #4
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I. SUMMARY
In 2020, the City of Carson adopted City Council districts for the four City Council seats, with the Mayor’s seat remaining at large. Every ten years, districts must be redrawn so that each district is substantially equal in population. This process, called redistricting, is important in ensuring that each city councilmember represents about the same number of constituents. In the City of Carson, the Mayor and City Council are responsible for drawing council districts. Redistricting is done using U.S. Census data, which was released in September 2021. For the City of Carson, the redistricting process must be completed by April 17, 2022.
The City Council held a post-publication Public Hearing at its January 18, 2022 meeting where it discussed two draft redistricting maps produced by its demographer, Bear Demographics. The two draft maps were published on the City’s redistricting website on January 10, 2022. (Exhibit 1.) The City Council considered the two maps and requested at least one additional map that had a lower total deviation from the mean of either Draft Map #1 or Draft Map #2. Maps #3 and #4 each have a lower total deviation than either Map #1 or #2 and generally accomplish it by reallocating some population south of the 405 Freeway from District #1 to either District #2 or District #4.
The final map is anticipated to be selected and the redistricting ordinance introduced at a public hearing on March 1, 2022.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. CONSIDER Draft Map #3 and Draft Map #4.
2. PROVIDE direction to Staff and the Demographer on Draft Maps #1 through Draft Map #4.
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III. ALTERNATIVES
TAKE another action the City Council deems appropriate.
IV. BACKGROUND
In 2020, the City of Carson adopted City Council districts for the four City Council seats, with the Mayor’s seat remaining at large. The 2020 election was the first held under the Council district system, for Council Districts 1 and 3. The redistricting process is important to ensure that each city councilmember represents about the same number of constituents.
2020 Census Data
Redistricting is done using U.S. Census data, which was released in September 2021. The 2010 US Census recorded Carson’s population at 91,714; the official 2020 Census data puts the population at 95,994, an increase of about 4,000 residents for more than 4% growth over the past decade.
The review of the data shows that the population increase did not result in any of the districts adopted in 2020 becoming “unbalanced” under the California Voting Rights Act or applicable constitutional requirements. While there may be other reasons the City Council or the community wish to change the configuration of the districts, there is not a demographic necessity to do so.
Redistricting Calendar
The schedule for the redistricting process generally follows a similar timetable that was followed in 2019-2020 for the original adoption of the Council districts. At least two public meetings must be conducted prior to the publication of any draft maps, and the first public hearing to consider such maps must be conducted at least seven days after the publication of the maps. This is that first public hearing.
Section 21627.1 of the Elections Code requires that (a) Before adopting a final map, the council shall hold at least four public hearings at which the public is invited to provide input regarding the composition of one or more council districts.
(1) At least one public hearing shall be held before the council draws a draft map or maps of the proposed council boundaries.
(2) At least two public hearings shall be held after the council has drawn a draft map or maps of the proposed council boundaries.
The first two meetings were held in November and December before the two draft maps were published on January 10, 2022. The first post-publication hearing was held on January 18, 2022. This meeting is another opportunity for the public to provide input and the City Council to consider the maps. The redistricting ordinance is expected to be introduced on March 1, 2022.
Draft Maps
The initial two draft maps (Draft #1 and Draft #2) were designed to make all the Council districts more compact and to make better use of accepted community boundaries such as the 405 Freeway. The most significant impacts are to Districts 3 and 4; District 4 is now entirely south of the 405 Freeway and District 3 is almost north of the 405 Freeway and almost entirely north of Carson Street, except in the far eastern section of the City. Smaller changes to Districts 1 and 2 were made to accommodate those changes.
In Draft Map #2, District 4 would also still be entirely located south of the 405 Freeway, but a significant change to District 2 would occur as it would be shifted north and to begin in the neighborhood between Sepulveda and 223rd Street but extend the entire length of the City, to Alondra Boulevard. District 1 would similarly become more north-south focused and less wide, while District 3 would extend from the University to both sides of Carson Street from the 405 Freeway to the eastern city limits.
At the January 18 Public Hearing, the Council considered the two draft maps and asked the demographer to bring back at least one additional map that was more balanced by total population with a lower total deviation in total population than what was presented in Maps #1 and #2 (5.4% and 6.0%, respectively). The demographer produced two new maps, Map #3 and Map #4. Map #3 has a deviation of 2.5% and Map #4 has a deviation of 3.6%, both lower than the other drafts and also lower than the Current map, which has a 4.8% deviation. (When adopted in August 2020, the Current map had a deviation of 7.8% -- higher but still below the State threshold to allow it to be presumed balanced - but population growth in two of the districts caused the overall deviation to shrink when the new Census data came out.) As noted previously, the current district map is a valid map from a demographic perspective (i.e. “balanced”) and could still be considered for adoption as well.
Staff conducted two in-person public workshops on the redistricting process on January 10 and January 11, at Hemingway Park and at Dolphin Park. In the past week, due to concerns about the spread of the COVID Omicron variant, Staff has conducted two on-line workshops in place of workshops at Veterans Park and Foisia Park on January 19 and January 25. The next two workshops are on February 8 and February 9, which may still be virtual.
V. FISCAL IMPACT
There is not a fiscal impact from the adoption of a new district map.
VI. EXHIBITS
1. City of Carson Draft City Council District Maps #3 and #4, prepared by Bear Demographics (pgs.xx-xxx)
2. City of Carson Draft City Council District Maps #1 and #2, prepared by Bear Demographics (pgs.xx-xxx)
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Prepared by: John Raymond, Assistant City Manager