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Redlandsers have until March 1 to weigh in on new district maps, when City Council will vote on the matter.
"I'm very interested in hearing from members of the pubic because this is such a big decision that influences us for a decade," said Councilmember Denise Davis, noting she was expecting to hear more input about particular maps.
Redlands moved from at-large to district elections in 2017 to comply with AB 182, the California Voting Rights Act. Disctricts are meant to protect voter rights, Davis said, by making sure districts are balanced in numbers, preventing gerrymandering, and making sure minority votes are not suppressed.
Redlands resident Tracy Wise was not involved with the question of districting in 2017 but does remember the decision was made with sensitivity to the split between North and South Redlands. Voices from the North side were not being heard, she said, and historically mayors were from South Redlands. With best intentions, the city drew districts which included parts of both North and South Redlands.
At the time, Wise supported Joe Richardson’s campaign against councilman Paul Barich. Richardson, she said, represented his neighborhood but his district was combined with other neighborhoods, and ultimately he lost to Barich. Barich sent out, and eventually apologized for, campaign mailers critics said were racist, highlighting the first name of Richardson, who is Black and goes by "Joe" as "Tariq."
Drawing district lines that better represent Redlands' neighborhoods, Wise thinks, would ensure each neighborhood has their needs represented, as candidates will run against others from their neighborhood.
In a presentation by Todd Tatum of National Demographics Corporation (NDC) during the January 18 Council meeting, Tatum discussed current district boundaries and 2020 Census data. As Redlands's population 73,385, each district population should be roughly 14,680. Current deviation is 3.60%, and since this is under 10%, Tatum said, the current map is considered balanced under the California Voting Rights Act. The draft maps were also balanced.
Wise is adamant that "numbers are not the whole story" as "focusing only on numbers turns it into an intellectual exercise." Citing the Richardson race, she said Redlands must "look not simply at numbers, but look at equity. How do we ensure we are drawing districts to recognize neighborhoods that exist so that those neighborhoods have a voice and not privileging the power that has traditionally existed on south side of Redlands?"
Pubic map 1 does this, Wise said. It separates "long districts" to "give the North side more of a say" by allowing those running from the area to run only against others from the North side. Public map 1 ensures we "amplify and raise up the voices of all Redlands," Wise said.
The consultants looked at Public map 1, Wise said, and ensured its deviation was well within guidelines. They then suggested a change which lowered the deviation further by taking some of a neighborhood in the South side, splitting it from the rest of its neighborhood, and moving it to a different district. Wise appreciated that this new map (1B) lowered deviation, but still expressed concern that it split a neighborhood into two.
No map will be perfect, Wise said. The part of Redlands north of Mentone, which is currently part of District 3, "probably has its own concerns and interests," she noted. Wherever it is "glommed onto" is "kind of odd," she said, but as Redlands can currently only have five council seats, she said this is a "question for down the road."
Davis said she is keeping an open mind for the March vote. She sees value in leaving districts relatively the same as "people have learned the identity of their districts, their council members, and how to contact them." However, she wants to hear the public's experiences of Redlands and their neighborhoods.
Maps can be viewed at https://drawredlands.org/draft-maps/.
Constituents can email their individual council members, but the easiest way to make their voice heard is to email citycouncil@cityofredlands.org or comment at the council meeting. For information on how to do this, visit https://www.cityofredlands.org/meeting-agendas-minutes.
