Redistricting San Diego is happening – whether we pay attention to it or not. What will it mean for OB or for District 2? Or for other districts? For instance, folks in Clairemont are really pissed off as the redrawing has cut their community into 4 different districts.
Redistricting is the government-mandated process of redrawing political district lines every 10 years following completion of the U.S Census, which occurred in 2020. The federal government requires that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.
Another requirement of redistricting is that existing districts should not have a total population deviation of more than 10% from the previous census. In 2010, there was a total district citywide deviation of approximately 4.59%.
In a report from The Beacon, District 2 will probably be changed somewhat:
Lora Fleming, chief of staff for the nine-member City of San Diego Redistricting Commission, told the Beacon:
I would assume all the boundaries of all nine council districts are going to have to change. It’s just a question of how much it has to change.
District 2, which is underpopulated by 2.88%, will need to grow. It’s important to look at the big picture with the census data and to see how enlarging or reducing the size of one City Council district could impact another. It’s one big puzzle, and the commission’s responsibility is to make it all fit with as few deviations as possible.”
Fred Kosmo is chair of the Peninsula Community Planning Board and he is also one of the nine redistricting commissioners. He commented that he thinks the D2 lines will likely shift.
“Part of District 2 could be moved into Little Italy or toward Downtown or maybe into Old Town. Those areas seem to be natural growth areas. Historically, Downtown, Point Loma and Midway, are all areas that have often been tied together. They share San Diego Bay, one of the natural landmarks. And they’re all tied together with the airport. I don’t know anything for sure. But that seems to be sort of the consensus in some of the maps that have been proposed.”
Kosmo surprisingly said he thinks short-term vacation rentals are a big factor in causing D2’s boundaries to shift.
“STVRs impact the beach communities because people are not living there. There are 3,000 to 3,500 STVRs in District 2, which has lost 7,000 or 8,000 people because of them. If we didn’t have (so many) STVRs, I think our population would be right on the nose and we wouldn’t have to move the boundary lines.”
The Beacon: “Kosmo is not in favor of one proposal calling for combining Districts 1 and 2 into a single entity encompassing most of the beach areas.”
“I think it’s in the best interest of the City, and the beach communities, which are open spaces that everyone uses and enjoys, to have two voices (districts) to speak up for them, which is important.”
Clairemont Is Not Happy
The U-T reports:
Community leaders in Clairemont are criticizing a recent proposal to divide the 80,000-resident neighborhood among four City Council districts, contending that would significantly shrink Clairemont’s political power.
“Instead of a powerful machine, Clairemont is seen more like a car that can be used for spare parts,” wrote Eden Yaege, Clairemont Town Council president, in an email to the community over the weekend. “You take too many pieces away from a running car and it will not run anymore.”
Draw Your Own Map
From KPBS:
The city of San Diego is moving closer to redrawing boundaries for city council districts.
A preliminary map was hammered out after public comment last week. The volunteer Redistricting Committee is tasked with using 2020 census numbers to create council districts that each have a similar number of residents.
A population increase in the northern coastal region of the city means there will be changes for some council boundaries.
The latest interim map version released last week divides the Clairemont Mesa neighborhood into four different council districts, which Garrick said, “as far as we can tell, is unprecedented since the city went to district voting in 1988.”
The once-in-a-decade process continues until Nov. 15, when the commission will choose a final preliminary map, followed by five additional public hearings. The new district map is scheduled to take effect by the 2022 City Council elections.
The Redistricting Commission has provided an interactive map on its website, allowing users to create their own map of San Diego districts.
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