Old Town has “returned” to District 2. It’s part of the latest redistricting map changes the volunteer commission has made of late. And the decision to keep all of Clairemont in D2 and say ‘bye-bye’ to Pacific Beach helps Jen Campbell keep her seat in her upcoming re-election campaign.
The adjustment to take Old Town from District 3 and place it with Ocean Beach, the Midway, Mission Beach, Clairemont, and the Peninsula was all ostensibly about finding balance — balance in population.
District 2 lost population in the map redrawings and the 1,200 residents of Old Town will boost its people number. Old Town used to be in District 2 until the 2011 redistricting changes and boundaries redrawn.
Some believe District 2 has been “radically redrawn” to exchange Pacific Beach for all of Clairemont. The latest map – which is unlikely to be altered — keeps western Clairemont, allowing Jen Campbell to run for re-election next spring without having to move. With the eastern half of Clairemont added to District 2, her re-election is enhanced, as it’s assumed she has more support in her residential base than in the rest of the western and coastal district.
This “radical” redrawing has prompted speculation that when her staff member submitted a map proposal to the panel that included Campbell’s residence in District 2, it was an act of unduly influencing boundary drawing. Council members are not allowed to talk to the Redistricting Commission, except to testify at public meetings. It’s not clear whether this prohibition applies to someone like Seamus Kennedy, a senior policy advisor for Campbell. Although, it’s a stretch to think that it was proper.
A group called Community Advocates for Just and Moral Governance has asked City Attorney Mara Elliott to investigate whether Campbell’s staff violated city rules.
However, according to the U-T:
A 2011 memo by then-City Attorney Jan Goldsmith says members of the Redistricting Commission are prohibited from talking to council members outside of commission meetings, but that council members can testify at public meetings. The memo does not address whether staffers for a councilmember can submit proposed maps.
Final boundaries are supposed to be adopted by the panel next Wednesday. The panel seemsunlikely to pursue any other significant changes because they haven’t requested that their consultant analyze any other proposals, according to the U-T.
The panel did make other changes:
- it moved two parts of southeastern San Diego into District 9 to boost Latino voting power there;
- minor adjustments were made affecting
- Mission Valley,
- Rancho Peñasquitos and
- Torrey Highlands.
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She gone