1/7/13

REDISTRICTING = Redesigning WARDS in the City

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Favored by All-Wards Steering Committees is the 8 ward configuration because it is the option that provides more small wards, rather than fewer large wards. Smaller wards give residents greater opportunity for a personal relationship with their councilor/s, encourage door to door campaigning, and allow NPAs to focus on neighborhood issues and impact of city-wide issues on the grassroots of the city.


The following recommendations were endorsed by wards 4 and 7, by Ward 4 Dems, and All-Wards NPA:

Recommendations on Redistricting from NPAs:

1.      Take time to do this right (not on March 2013 ballot) so we have community consensus. Start with NPAs.
2.      Follow the logic of neighborhoods as the primary consideration, because this has been consistently requested by residents.
3.      More smaller wards rather than fewer larger wards. Councilors have too much committee work now, (fewer would have a heavier work load). Democracy is best served by direct representation. 

@nytimes readers make the case for small ratio voter to elected members of legislative bodies. http://t.co/aAJOhgII


The specific criteria outlined in statute (*see quoted below, with citations) was apparently not used by the committee, but could be. It calls for districts [wards] that are, "insofar as practicable," :

  • contiguous and geographically compact, and
  • adhere to county and other political subdivision boundaries, except where necessary to comply with other legal requirements
  • [wards] districts should also recognize and maintain
    • patterns of geography, 
    • social interaction, 
    • trade, 
    • political ties, and 
    • common interests
  • Legislative districts may also be drawn as multi-member districts. 


In the 8 ward scenario, the 8th ward would accommodate increased population around the university.  The committee could use the existing 8 ward option, building consensus by moving neighborhoods around until people who live there are satisfied and the numbers align. NPA members are very adept at tackling this issue in an open and fair manner because NPAs are nonpartisan and know their neighborhoods very well.
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*Criteria  http://redistricting.lls.edu/states-VT.php  Like all states, Vermont must comply with constitutional equal population requirements and with section 2 of the Voting Rights ActVermont law further requires that state legislative districts be, "insofar as practicable," contiguous and geographically compact, and that they adhere to county and other political subdivision boundaries, except where necessary to comply with other legal requirements. By statute, Vermont districts should also recognize and maintain "patterns of geography, social interaction, trade, political ties, and common interests." Legislative districts may also be drawn as multimember districts. [Vt. Const. ch. 11, §§ 1318; 17 Vt. Stat. §§ 1891a,19031906a]