I wrote about redistricting knowing that it is coming up “soon”, then meetings got cancelled and it wasn’t on the agenda for the next meeting to follow up. Here’s what was discussed that was not in the minutes from the January meetings. I wrote about redistricting on February 6th. And got curious what I had missed at the January 9th meeting. So I asked the staff to send it to me.
Initial Discussion and Possible Action on Planning for Nonpartisan Redistricting Process
Karin Peterson-Thurlow, County Board Chief of Staff, reported on the 2021 redistricting background, timeline, and procedural requirements established by state law, as well as by Dane County Board 2016 OA 032: AMENDING CHAPTER 15 OF THE DANE COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCES, CREATING AN INDEPENDENT CITIZEN REDISTRICTING COMMISSION.
Thurlow discussed key dates for the 2021 redistricting process, and pointed out that the County Board elections for 2022 will be influenced by the outcomes of the 2021 redistricting process.
POWERPOINT ON REDISTRICTING TIMELINES – JANUARY 9th
- Mid April – Census block data available, by May 15th, 2021 there needs to be a tentative county supervisory district plan
- April and May – committee meets to draw up the alternatives, meets with local municipalities that may be split by districts
- May-June – Public hearing and committee recommendation to the County Board
- June – County board approves tentative plan by July 1, 2021
- June-July – Municipalities adjust ward boundaries and submit ward plans to the county by August 1, 2021.
- October 2021 – County adopts final supervisory district plan, cities adopt aldermanic districts within 60 days of receipt of municipal ward plan.
POWERPOINT ON REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE – JANUARY 9th
15.47 REDISTRICTING COMMISSION.
(1) Composition. The Redistricting Com- mission shall consist of eleven (11) citizen members who are residents of Dane County and are appointed as provided herein.
(a) Appointments shall be made through an application process structured to recruit candidates from broad and diverse sections of the Dane County electorate.
(b) From those individuals who apply, the County Board Chair shall appoint an individual who is a resident of the City of Madison, a resident of a town in Dane County, and a resident of a city or village other than the City of Madison. Prior to making these appointments, the Chair shall confer with the City of Madison, the Dane County Towns Association, and the Dane County Cities and Villages Association regarding the appointment.
(c) The County Board Chair and the County Clerk shall each appoint four (4) additional citizen members from the pool of applicants that meet the eligibility criteria.
(d) Members of the Commission shall serve from the time of appointment until completion of the redistricting process following the decennial census. A vacancy occurring during the redistricting process shall be filled consistent with this section.
(2) Eligibility Criteria. All members of the Commission shall be residents of Dane County and meet the following criteria:
(a) May not be a member of the Dane County Board, an employee of Dane County or a contract consultant;
(b) May not be a lobbyist registered with the Dane County Board;
(c) May not hold or have held an official position with a political party or partisan organization within the year prior to appointment;
(d) May not have participated in the State of Wisconsin 2011 partisan redistricting process;
(e) Must be impartial, which includes refraining from engaging in any political party activity or supporting the election or defeat of any candidate or referendum during their tenure on the commission, and at the time of appointment no intent to seek election to the office of county board supervisor in the spring primary and general election immediately following redistricting;
(f) Have a familiarity with maps;
(g) Disclose any potential conflict of interest in conformance with s. 9.60.
(3) The county clerk and the Planning & Development Department shall provide the commission with such staff assistance as may be required to carry out its functions.
(4) The commission shall use the following criteria and procedure to develop a proposed redistricting plan for consideration by the county board.
(a) Within 30 days after the population count by census block becomes available in printed form from the federal government or is published by a state agency, but no later than May 15th following the year of each decennial census, the commission shall propose a tentative county supervisory district plan and map. In preparing the tentative plan and map and in making any adjustments to the tentative plan, the commission shall be guided by the criteria set forth in Wis. Stat. s. 59.10(3)(b) and sub. (b).
(b) The mapping process shall include opportunities for the public to submit map proposals for consideration.
(c) The commission shall develop up to three maps for consideration by the county board that divide the county into the number of districts determined by the county board. In the preparation of its plan for dividing the county into districts for the election of county board supervisors, the commission shall apply applicable state and federal law, which shall control in the event of any conflict with this ordinance. The commission shall also apply the criteria set forth in the following paragraphs to the maximum extent practicable. The following paragraphs shall be applied and given priority in the order in which they are listed.
1. Each district should represent the same population size, in accordance with the U.S. Constitution and state statutory requirements that districts be substantially equal in population, contiguous and compact. If difference in population are necessary to complete the maps, any such differences in population must be justified by the other criteria set forth in this section.
2. The map shall minimize the number of municipal boundaries crossed in each of the county districts.
3. Such districting plan shall be established in a manner that ensures the fair and effective representation of the diverse ethnic and racial populations in Dane County which are protected by the Federal Voting Rights Act.
4. The map shall take into consideration geography and natural boundaries such as rivers and lakes.
5. District lines shall keep intact communities with established ties of common interest and association, whether historical, racial, neighborhoods and economic, ethic, religious, or other.
6. Districts shall be drawn without regard to incumbency.
(d) If none of the maps submitted by the Commission are adopted by the county board, the maps shall be re-referred to the commission which shall have the opportunity to submit an amended map to the county board for reconsideration within the time frame set by state statute.
POWERPOINT ON REDISTRICTING COUNTY BOARD RESPONSIBILITIES – JANUARY 9th
POWERPOINT ON REDISTRICTING COMMISSION DUTIES – JANUARY 9th
POWERPOINT ON REDISTRICTING MAPPING CRITERIA – JANUARY 9th
- District should have same population size, be contiguous and compact.
- Minimize the number of municipal boundaries crossed.
- Ensure fair and effective representation of the diverse ethnic and racial population.
- Consider geography and natural boundaries (ex. rivers, lakes).
- Keep intact neighborhoods and communities of interest and association.
- Be drawn without regard to incumbency.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. What is redistricting?
Redistricting is the process of redrawing the lines of districts from which public officials are elected to reflect population shifts in accordance with the results of the census. The boundaries for County Board districts are adjusted based on population changes that have occurred over the previous decade. Through the redistricting process, the population within each supervisory district is equalized so that residents across the county have equal representation on the Board of Supervisors. The approved final map is then used for the next decade.
2. When does redistricting take place?
The redistricting process takes place between April and October 2021
3. Why are we talking about this when it won’t take place for another year?
In 2016, the County Board approved 2016 OA-032 creating a nonpartisan citizen redistricting commission. To follow the intent and direction of the ordinance, there are several pieces that need to be put into place including:
- Appointing the commission – to include an application process
- Orienting and educating the commission
- Procuring and testing mapping software to allow the public to submit maps
- Engaging the public on the process
There is also interest in whether the County Board should consider changing the number of County Board districts and making a recommendation in the coming months.
4. What are the duties of the redistricting commission?
- Within 30 days of census data becoming available, and no later than May 15th, the commission shall propose a tentative county supervisory district plan and map, guided by criteria set forth in statute.
- The mapping process shall include opportunities for the public to submit map proposals for consideration.
- Develop up to 3 maps for consideration by the County Board
- If none of the maps submitted by the commission are adopted by the county board, the maps shall be re-referred to the commission which shall have the opportunity to submit an amended map to the county board.
5. Who can apply to be on the commission?
All members of the Commission shall be residents of Dane County and meet the following criteria:
(a) May not be a member of the Dane County Board, an employee of Dane
County or a contract consultant;
(b) May not be a lobbyist registered with the Dane County Board;
(c) May not hold or have held an official position with a political party or partisan organization within the year prior to appointment; (NOTE: one definition would be holding a position with an organization which endorses candidates;)
(d) May not have participated in the State of Wisconsin 2011 partisan redistricting process;
(e) Must be impartial, which includes refraining from engaging in any political party activity or supporting the election or defeat of any candidate or referendum during their tenure on the commission, and at the time of appointment no intent to seek election to the office of county board supervisor in the spring primary and general election immediately following redistricting;
(f) Have a familiarity with maps; (NOTE: the application should ask applicants to describe their familiarity with maps.)
(g) Disclose any potential conflict of interest in conformance with s. 9.60 (NOTE: it will be up to the appointing authorities to consider conflicts; the application should include a request for affiliations.)
6. How will the public apply to be on the commission?
An application will be developed outlining the eligibility criteria and will also set time duty expectations so members understand the workload and importance of the process. The application will be shared as broadly as possible to encourage all residents of Dane County to apply. The County Clerk will manage the application process.
7. Who will staff the commission?
The County Clerk and the Planning and Development Department shall provide the commission with such staff assistance as may be required to carry out its functions.
8. What are some of the key considerations for the Redistricting Commission?
- What is an acceptable tolerance or variance?
- Should Dane County preserve or change the majority minority districts
9. When the maps are created, what is the criteria?
In order of priority:
- Each district should represent the same population size, be contiguous, and compact
- Minimize the number of municipal boundaries crossed
- Shall ensure fair and effective representation of the diverse ethnic and racial population in DaneCounty
- Take into consideration geography and natural boundaries such as rivers and lakes
- Keep intact neighborhoods and communities of interest and association, whether historical,racial, economic, ethnic, religious, or other.
- District shall be drawn without regard to incumbency
10. Which county departments are involved?
The County Board Office, the County Clerk’s Office, the Land Information Office, and the Planning and Development Department are all involved in the process.
11. Who else is involved in redistricting?
The Wisconsin Elections Commission and interested parties
12. What document(s) guide the redistricting process?
- 2016 OA-032 – Amending Chapter 15 of the Dane County Code of Ordinances, Creating an Independent Citizen Redistricting Commission
- Wis. Stat. 59.10
13. How is the public involved?The intention of the commission is to involve members of the public in the process. There will also be a very intentional focus on engaging the public throughout the entire process.
14. What kind of tools do we need to involve the public?
The staff team is in the process of identifying the options for mapping software.
15. What budget implications do we need to think about regarding redistricting?
There will likely be costs associated with the mapping software. There will also likely be additional costs related to engagement.
16. Once the Redistricting Commission recommends three maps to the County Board, how will the County Board Office process work?
A resolution recommending the three maps to the Board will be composed and referred to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will recommend a map to the Board. The Board will hold a public hearing and approve the initial map by July 1st. This process should be specified in Chapter 7.
17. After municipal governments opine on the map, is there a role for the Redistricting Commission?
The Commission should reconvene to consider changes requested by local governments. Again, the Executive Committee will accept the referral of the final map and make recommendations to the County Board.
