Deadline Extended One Week - Phoenix Union Residents can use Online Mapping to Redraw Election Ward Map until Feb. 27

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

Reminder - Deadline approaching to submit your proposed map or comments/suggestions‏

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