I wanted to update you on the status of the County’s redistricting process.
First, I want to thank the hundreds of you who took the time to attend last week’s Boundary Review Committee (BRC) meetings to voice your desire to remain in the Fourth District. Your support and kind words mean so much to me. The BRC also received nearly 1000 letters! I really appreciate your time and efforts, which are invaluable in this process.
What Will Change?
Change in the Fourth District is inevitable. Following the federal census results, it was determined that the Fourth District needs to add about 40,000 people to ensure that the County’s population is divided evenly into the five supervisorial districts. The plan the BRC ultimately approved and will recommend to the Board of Supervisors (you’ll hear this called A-2) largely maintains our current district boundaries. To add the required 40,000 residents, the plan brings in the City of Santa Fe Springs, and unifies most of Rowland Heights and South Whittier, parts of which are currently in the First District. This plan would shift about 150,000 people across the entire County to ensure fair representation.
The other option the BRC considered (called S-1), which may also come to the Board, makes dramatic changes across the County, moving 3.4 million people to a new district! Under this plan, there would be major shifts in boundaries, including moving all of the beach cities and Long Beach out of the Fourth District.
You can view both maps here:
A-2: http://redistricting.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/A2.pdf
S-1: http://redistricting.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Proposed-Amended-S1.pdf
What’s Next?
The Board of Supervisors will begin our review of the BRC approved plan on August 9th. We must approve a map by our September 27th meeting so that it can go into effect 30 days later, or October 31st. If the Board does not reach an agreement, which requires at least a 4-1 vote, responsibility for drawing the boundaries will go to the three County-wide elected officials, the Sheriff, District Attorney and Assessor.
And so I need to ask for your help again! Please attend the Board of Supervisors meetings on August 9th or August 30th at 9:30 a.m. Or, send a note of support through www.knabe.com/redistricting or an email to commserv@bos.lacounty.gov encouraging the Board not to move millions of residents out of their districts, splitting neighborhoods and communities that have been linked for decades. As many of you have said throughout this process, “If it ain’t broke, don’t break it!”
Thank you for your support!