MESA CITY COUNCIL RE-DISTRICTING: August Public Meetings Finished / Pre-Mapping Data

Time to keep an eye on the future deadlines >

The Redistricting Commission's recommended map is expected to be delivered to Mesa City Council on Nov. 15, 2021.

The map of Mesa's current council districts is available at www.mesaaz.gov/redistricting.
Mesa residents can submit questions to Redistricting@mesaaz.gov. 

 

The August release of Census 2020 data is called the “Legacy Format” and it will not be in a format for public use. We anticipate converting the raw data into a usable format for public use in early September 2021.

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Please Note:

If you cannot attend a meeting, you can submit written comments to:

Jeff Robbins, City Manager’s Office, P.O. Box 1466, Mesa, AZ 85211-1466

or via e-mail at redistricting@mesaaz.gov

 

 

 

RE-DISTRICTING 

 

RE-DISTRICTING: Redistricting Best practices

Equal population - Every Vote is Equal so districts must be nearly equal in population

 

Adherence to the Federal Voting Rights Act

Compactness and Contiguity

Councilmembers Remain in Their Districts - A requirement of the Mesa City Charter

Respect Communities of Interest - Communities that have a shared interest at the local level or common social bonds are called communities of interest (COI). Some examples could be urban or rural communities, communities with a stake in a local asset such as a park or school, or race and ethnicity. COI should be recognized and kept whole to the greatest extent possible.

Natural and Man-Made Boundaries

Existing Districts - Mesa’s redistricting process is an adjustment to existing council boundaries, not a wholesale redrawing of the map. Council districts will remain in their relative locations to one another

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> Post-Census Data Map Draw

 

Six in-person District-based Outreach Meetings and one virtual city-wide meeting 

Opportunity for pre-map public input on communities of interest, with specific applicability to each district and its unique needs. 

Post-Census Data Map Draw 

 

Published Timeline 

 

Schedule

> April
Mesa City Council appointed the Mesa Redistricting Commission on April 29, 2021

> June - July
Commission meetings for training and planning

> August
Public meetings

> September
Public feedback and map drawing meetings.

> October
Map drawing meetings and public comment on maps.

> November 15, 2021
Anticipated City Council action on the proposed map

> December
Follow up action by the City Council (as needed)=====================================================================

 

Public Workshops Scheduled for Mesa City Council Redistricting

July 21, 2021 at 1:18 pm

Every ten years, local governments, including the City of Mesa, use new census data to redraw their City Council district lines to reflect how local populations have changed.

 

Redistricting Commission, a five-member panel created by mandate of the City Charter, has scheduled a series of public workshops to get input from our residents:

> Thursday, Aug. 12 at 6 p.m.

Webster Recreation Center, 202 N. Sycamore

> Saturday, Aug. 14 at 10 a.m. 

Fire Station 218, 845 N. Alma School Road

> Tuesday, Aug. 17 at 6 p.m.

Eagles Community Center, 828 E. Broadway Road

> Wednesday, Aug. 18 at 12 p.m.

Red Mountain Library, 635 N. Power Road

> Wednesday, Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. - Virtual Zoom meeting (link coming soon)

> Thursday, Aug. 26 at 6 p.m.

Cadence Community Room, 9760 E. Cadence Parkway

> Saturday, Aug. 28 at 10 a.m.

Madison Elementary, 849 S. Sunnyvale

All of the public workshops will have translation services in Spanish.
We are also asking the public to identify their communities using DistrictR, an online public mapping tool at https://districtr.org/tag/mesaaz. 

This allows you to share how you think city council districts should be drawn to best represent your community. 

All maps submitted will be carefully reviewed by the Redistricting Commission

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Members of the Redistricting Commission

Per the Mesa City Charter, The Mesa City Council appoints a five-member commission composed of Mesa residents to draw the new council district boundaries.

The Commission has received training from national experts in redistricting and they consider both qualitative and quantitative data, including 2020 U.S. Census data, to redraw city council boundaries.

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BLOGGER INSERT

Redistricting Partners About Us 

https://redistrictingpartners.com/about/

Redistricting Partners is a consulting firm working with local governments to ensure a public and transparent redistricting process consistent with state, federal and local laws, and consistent with the need for public engagement.

We work with local agencies on the technical aspects of redistricting and assist in the development of redistricting plans, outreach, public engagement, analysis and other aspects of this decennial process.

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Commission members were appointed by the Mesa City Council on April 29, 2021 and will serve until a map is adopted by the Mesa City Council in late 2021. The commission is non-partisan and is composed of volunteers who are Mesa residents.

All Redistricting Commission meetings are open to the public. Advisory board meetings operate on a hybrid system. Public participants are welcome to attend in person or via Zoom.

Members of the public can address the Board in the following ways:

• Attend a meeting in person. Participants may complete a blue comment upon arrival at the meeting.
• Submit an online comment card at least 1 hour prior to the start of the meeting.  
  • If you want to speak at the meeting, you will need to indicate on the comment card that you would like to speak during the meeting, and you will need to call 888-788-0099 or 877-853-5247 (toll free) using meeting ID 5301232921 and following the prompts, prior to the start of the meeting.  You will be able to listen to the meeting; and when the item you have indicated that you want to speak on is before the Council, your line will be taken off mute and you will be given an opportunity to speak.

For help with the online comment card, or for any other technical difficulties, please call 480-644-2099.

Dr. Catherine Jiang, District 1. Jiang owns the Law Office of Catherine Jiang. She is on the executive boards of the Arizona Asian American Bar Association, Arizona State Bar Immigration and International Law Sections and Arizona Korean Association. 

Deanna Villanueva-Sauceda, District 4. She is the Community Engagement director at Mesa Community College and served on Mesa’s Redistricting Commission in 2011 and on many city and community boards.

Greg Marek, District 5. Marek has 30 years of experience in downtown redevelopment, economic development and historic preservation. He is currently a real estate consultant with CRE Options Commercial Advisors and is president of the Arizona Museum of Natural History Foundation Board

Elaine Miner, District 5. Miner has served on the Mesa Public Schools Governing Board for 12 years and was CEO and owner of the Arizona School of Real Estate and Business

Jo Martin, District 6. Martin has owned TM3 Consulting for more than 15 years. She has served on many city and community boards including Mesa Parks and Recreation Board, United Food Bank Board of Directors, Imagine Mesa Advisory Committee and Mesa Leadership.

Marek has 30 years of experience in downtown redevelopment, economic development and historic preservation. He is currently a real estate consultant with CRE Options Commercial Advisors and is president of the Arizona Museum of Natural History Foundation Board

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INSERTS FROM EARLIER POSTS ON THIS BLOG

Information if you want some

Redistricting Commission

Source: https://www.mesaaz.gov/government/advisory-boards-committees/redistricting-commission 

HERE IS THE DRAFT PROCESS TIMELINE

City of Mesa Redistricting Process - Draft Timeline 

February 2021 

Kickoff meeting with City of Mesa staff (online) May 2021 

Commission seated, Initial Presentation with the Commission Chair. Website/Public Mapping Options Launched 

Commission begins training (see training outline below) Public Outreach to publicize process and initial meeting dates publicized 

 

June 2021 Public Outreach Meeting with Commission – DistrictR posted on City website as an opportunity for public to submit community of interest testimony. 

 

July 2021 

> Update elected officials on public meeting dates and expectations for public outreach. 

> Provide electeds with organic social content. Commission meetings (TBD by Commission) 

Public information campaign begins 

 

August 2021 

Six in-person District-based Outreach Meetings and one virtual city-wide meeting 

Opportunity for pre-map public input on communities of interest, with specific applicability to each district and its unique needs. 

Post-Census Data Map Draw 

 

September 2021 

• September 1-12 -
• Solicit publicly drawn boundaries using new Census data via DistrictR. 
• Commission members review COI public testimony and census data results individually. 
  
• Census data delivered to City Council with explainer. 
  
  Week of 13th -
• Meeting with Commission to review three draft maps drawn by Redistricting Partners with COI and public testimony in mind. 
  

This meeting can be public and public comment can be taken on the maps during the meeting, or the Commission can meet and review the maps. 

The goal of the meeting is to provide input on the draft maps in order to submit to council after second meeting. 

This meeting could also be done as a live line drawing meeting where the Commission works with our line drawer to develop three draft maps during the meeting, taking into account public testimony and COI input.) 

 

After the meeting, the three draft maps (or fewer) is/are walked to the City Council members. 

City Council is asked for feedback and to identify any concerns for the Commission. 

• Week of 20th - Rest week 
  
• Week of 27th - Commission working meeting to revise and refine district map. 
  

 

October 2021 

Week of 4th - 

City council updated, and concerns and comments, if any, related back to the Commission. 

Week of 11th - 

Schedule calendar hold for Commission working meeting. 

Redistricting Partners prepares slides for council presentation. 

Week of 18th – 

Final scheduled calendar hold for Commission working meeting. 

Redistricting Partners slides reviewed by Commission (or chair) and city management. 

Week of 25th – 

Work week for Redistricting Partners to prepare final materials. 

Redistricting Partners produced and final slides and materials. 

All materials submitted into Legistar by city staff. 

 

November 2021 

November 15th - 

• Presentation of plan adopted by the Commission to the City Council for their approval. 
  
• If approved, Commission retires. 
• Press release. 
  

Week of 15th - 

If Council rejects the map the Commission will meet to review Council’s comments and produce a final map. Production of new slides. 

 

Week of 22nd to 29th– Thanksgiving Holiday. 

Slides reviewed by chair and city management. 

Uploaded to Legistar. 

 

Final Commission Meeting December 2021 

December 13th - 

Present final map to Commission for adoption. 

Council is obliged to accept the new map.

Press release

As needed

City Council Chambers (lower level)
57 E. First Street

 

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RELATED CONTENT (Official City of Mesa Sources)

 

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