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Residents living in the Phoenix Union High School District boundaries will have an extra week to use an online mapping system so that they have a chance to redraw the maps of its five single-member governing board districts or wards using an online mapping program through February 27. The deadline for drawing and submitting maps online was extended an extra week to gather additional community input into the redistricting process. It is available on the District’s website at http://www.phoenixunion.org/redistricting.
The online mapping tool allows individuals to draw and submit proposed maps that adhere to the key principles of redistricting--equal distribution of population and preserving minority voting representation-- in each of the five wards. Users can move precincts and neighborhoods from existing wards to create new ward boundaries, while the mapping program simultaneously updates the demographics of each ward.
The Phoenix Union Governing Board will review a set of alternative maps, based on community input, at the Thursday, March 1 Governing Board meeting. That meeting is at 6:30 p.m. at the District office at 4502 N. Central Avenue.
Another community meeting will be held Monday, March 5 at 6 p.m. at the District Offices to gather public input on the drafted maps. Additional community input will be considered through March 22.
To complete the process by the required April 1 deadline, the Governing Board will adopt one final map at a special board meeting, Tuesday, March 27 at 6 p.m. The selected map will be submitted in a pre-clearance application to the Department of Justice.
Based on 2010 census data, each ward should have an “ideal” total population size of 130,518. Currently Ward 1 in southwest Phoenix and Laveen, which experienced rapid growth in the last ten years, has 30 percent more residents than the targeted population, while three wards in the north and east of the school district have up to 13 percent less than the 130,000 mark. The new wards should also be geographically compact and connected.
The reapportioned wards will not be in effect until 2014, when the five single-district governing board terms end. The two at-large governing board seats will be determined in the 2012 election.
Source: Phoenix Union High School District
Thank you for your interest in the City's redistricting process. We wanted to remind you that March 12, 2012 is the deadline to submit your proposed map, comments and suggestions about the process or your community (or communities) of interest. This information must be received by the deadline to enable the consultant to consider your proposals and include them in the draft maps that will be developed and presented to the public for comment in April.
All maps that have been submitted can be seen on our Website by clicking here. If you have submitted a map and do not see it on the Web page, please contact us immediately at 602-256-4357 or at redistricting@phoenix.gov.
As a reminder, your proposed map or comments may be submitted online through phoenix.gov/redistricting, emailed to redistricting@phoenix.gov, or mailed to the City Clerk Department, 200 W. Washington St., 15th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85003. You may call the redistricting information line at 602-256-4357 with any comments, suggestions, or questions.
The second round of public meetings to obtain feedback on the proposed redistricting plans will begin on April 23, 2012. A list of those locations, dates and times will be sent to you prior to the first meeting and will be available on the website by early April.
Source: City of Phoenix
Time Flies
Twenty-nine days into the session and more than 1400 pieces of legislation have been introduced, with more to come. The last day for introduction of bills in the Senate was Monday, January 30. Today, Monday, February 6, is the deadline for new bills in the House. Legislative committee agendas are growing long as bills vie for passage. To see the agendas, go to http://www.azleg.gov and click on the "committee agendas" link on the left side column.
Another Graffiti Measure
HB 2201: Graffiti; Unlawful Possession; Minors (Rep. Chad Campbell, D-Phoenix) is another bill that targets graffiti crime. The bill prohibits minors from possessing graffiti implements – such as aerosol/pressurized paint containers, etching tools – on public or private property without consent of the property owner. Exceptions are made if a parent or guardian is immediately supervising the youth, if the minor has written permission from his osr her parent or guardian, or if the implements are work-related or being transported between home and school. Violations are deemed a petty offense. HB 2201 awaits a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee.
Source: P.L.A.N.
As required by the Federal and State Constitutions, and consistent with federal law regarding apportionment, the City Code requires the City Council to revise council district boundaries to equalize population distribution at least once every 10 years based on the decennial census. The current council district boundaries became effective in January 2003 following the 2000 decennial census. District population, based on the 2010 census, varies from the smallest at 150,919 (District 4) to the largest at 261,458 (District 7). To equalize district population, the ideal population size for each is 180,704. To achieve this, most districts will need to gain population, with a few losing population, while maintaining minority voting strength.
The City’s public process will begin with public meetings conducted in each Council District between January 31 and February 17, 2012 to provide residents with information about the redistricting process, to distribute redistricting materials, and to obtain input from residents regarding communities of interest. Additionally, the City’s redistricting website will contain all materials provided in the public meetings and an online mapping program to allow residents to draw proposed boundary lines, see statistical data on the proposed boundaries, and submit proposed district maps for review and analysis. The City encourages you to participate in the public meetings and also make use of the redistricting website and online mapping tool located at http://www.phoenix.gov/redistricting.
Based on input received from the public and the mapping consultant team will compile several draft maps for consideration by the Mayor and Council. A second round of public meetings will occur for public feedback on these draft maps. This second round of meetings is planned for late April and early May. Based on the public feedback, the maps will be refined and the Mayor and Council will vote on a final map that will be submitted to the Department of Justice for preclearance.
Please share this information with your friends and neighbors. If you have any questions or comments, please contact the City’s redistricting hotline at (602) 256-4357 or by e-mail at redistricting@phoenix.gov.
Redistricting meeting schedule - first round (locations closest to the Phoenix Central Neighborhood boundaries):
6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 N. Central Ave. (Technical Workshop)
6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, Sunnyslope Community Center, 802 E. Vogel Ave.
1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, Burton Barr Central Library Auditorium, 1221 N. Central Ave.
Source: Cris Meyer, City Clerk
