Want a say on how Sacramento draws City Council districts? How to submit your proposal
The Sacramento Independent Redistricting Commission (SIRC) was initiated in 2020, following the completion of the 2020 U.S. Census. SIRC is made up of 13 commission members that reside in different areas of Sacramento.
They have been holding meetings with community members throughout the year as they discuss the best outline for redesigning the City Council district map.
They are now preparing to process the district outline, mapping out what they believe would be the best fit for the city. SIRC has been reaching out to all residents of Sacramento asking for their input in redrawing the new district lines.
The city of Sacramento Community Engagement Manager, Lynette Hall says there are many ways to participate in the deliberation of redistricting and making your voice heard throughout the process.
SIRC is asking for assistance from the people of Sacramento by attending community meetings, calling in to public meetings, and submitting comments via the City of Sacramento Redistricting page.
Community members are also encouraged to submit their own redistricting map on the City’s website.
“Every Sacramento resident has an opportunity to participate in the City of Sacramento redistricting process,” said Hall in a news release. “The commission wants to collect community feedback as they redraw district lines.”
About Sacramento’s redistricting commission
Redistricting is the process of recreating the boundaries that separate Sacramento’s city council districts. It happens every 10 years once the U.S. Census is completed and processed.
In 2016, 52% of Sacramentans voted yes on Measure L, which created an independent redistricting commission that’s designed to prevent politicians from gerrymandering, or setting boundaries within districts to favor specific political interests within legislative bodies.
The federal government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race or ethnicity and all districts must be nearly similar in population and size. California is one of the eight states that have commissions created to draw the congressional district lines.
Commission members cannot be staff members, consultants, or contractors for the state or federal government, neither can their family members. Members also cannot have donated more than $2,000 to a legislative staff member or elected candidate.
Members must have voted in two of the previous three local and statewide elections. Members are not allowed to run for an elected office position for 10 years, and cannot have been a candidate in the previous decade or have family members running for an elected position.
The public’s deadline to submit maps to the independent commission is on Nov. 7. Following that date, they will spend the next months adopting the City Council district map.
By Jan. 2022, the SIRC will submit the report to the City Council with the newly re-established district lines to shape Sacramento for the next decade.