PRESENTER: Presenter
Valeria M. Acevedo, City Attorney
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SUBJECT: Title
Consideration of the creation of a redistricting committee
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DEPARTMENT: City Attorney’s Office
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COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
At the redistricting workshop held on September 13, 2021, the consultant, Alan Bojorquez, laid out the redistricting process and explained that some local governments establish a redistricting committee. Council Members indicated that they want to pursue creating such an ad hoc committee and to discuss its membership and the process for selection. In 2011, the City of New Braunfels City Council established its own ad hoc redistricting committee that made recommendations for redistricting plans to the Council. The 2011 Redistricting Committee was comprised of 10 members. Seven were appointed by each council member, including the mayor, without an application process. The remaining three members were appointed at-large through an application process. After the committee is created, Council will make their appointments to the committee at the regular meeting on October 11, 2021.
ISSUE:
On September 27th, the City Council will consider the creation, composition, and appointment process of the Redistricting Committee.
FISCAL IMPACT:
While there is no direct cost to form a committee, the City’s consultant will have to spend additional time training the members and attending those committee meetings. This will likely increase the consultant’s time spent working on this matter and the total cost to the City.
Recommendation
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the formation of a Redistricting Committee to engage the public directly in the redistricting process.