Redistricting:  CM Allen “Ward 6 Will Look Different by This Time Next Year”

Redistricting:  CM Allen “Ward 6 Will Look Different by This Time Next Year”

By Larry Janezich

Posted Feb. 14, 2021

At last Thursday night’s, ANC6A meeting, Commissioner Brian Alcorn raised the subject of redistricting with CM Charles Allen, saying “we like being in Ward 6 and hope the City Council will recognize the importance of the coherence of community and will keep us part of Ward 6.”  Allen attended the virtual meeting of ANC6A as part of his spring tour of the Ward 6 ANCs.

Allen took the opportunity to lay out how the redistricting following the 2020 census will unfold, saying that redistricting is “not a fun process,” that Ward 6 is the biggest in the city, and “it will look different by this time next year”. 

Allen said that we’ll see what the census numbers look like by the end of March.  The city’s total population will be divided by 8 to establish an average.  Regulations require that each ward be plus or minus 5% of the average number.

The City Council’s Redistricting Subcommittee (comprised of at-large members – Bonds, Henderson, Silverman) will hold public hearings about which boundaries need to move to achieve the population goals. The Committee will make proposals in June and the City Council will vote.  Allen said, “I can’t make promises – I don’t know what will happen.”  He advised individuals to reach out to the Redistricting Committee to express concerns.

Within each ward a committee – appointed by the Ward Councilmember – will make recommendations about ANC and SMD boundaries.  No sitting ANC Commissioner will be on the committee.  The City Council will vote on the resulting proposed map of ANCs and Single Member Districts.