To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Tiffany Carranza, City Clerk
Prepared By: Tiffany Carranza, City Clerk
TITLE:
Title
California Citizens Redistricting Commission Public Input
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Authorize the Mayor to sign a letter to the California Citizens Redistricting Commission urging the commission to keep Napa County together in a single US House of Representative, State Assembly, and State Senate District, and to share those districts with counties which share similar interest in agricultural, tourism and environmental sustainability.
Body
DISCUSSION:
Every 10 years, after the federal government publishes updated census information, California must redraw the boundaries of its Congressional, State Senate, State Assembly and State Board of Equalization districts, so that the districts correctly reflect the state’s population.
The California Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC) is currently soliciting input to guide them in drawing districts using 2020 Census data that will be arriving later this year.
After hearing from the public and drawing the maps for the House of Representatives districts, 40 Senate districts, 80 Assembly districts, and 4 Board of Equalization districts, the Commission must vote on the new maps to be used for the next decade.
The CRC plans to hold meetings throughout California to gather information from communities of interest about their communities, neighborhoods, and the issues that are most important to them. The CRC has until February 14, 2022 to approve the final district lines.
The CRC must draw district boundaries based on the following criteria (by order of priority):
1. Draw districts with equal population;
2. Comply with the Federal Voting Rights Act;
3. Draw districts that are contiguous;
4. Respect counties, cities, communities of interest and neighborhoods where possible; 5. Draw districts to be compact where practicable;
6. Draw districts to nest within each other where practicable. That means:
o One (1) Senate district contains two (2) Assembly districts
o One (1) Board of Equalization district contains ten (10) Senate districts
For decades Napa County has been kept whole in each of those districts, and the draft letter to be approved requests that it remain so.
In addition, In 2011, the CRC almost detached the City of American Canyon from Napa County because their zip code is attached to the City of Vallejo. The letter asks the CRC to ignore the fact that the City of American Canyon’s zip code is related to the City of Vallejo in determining the community of interest. The City of American Canyon's interest rest within Napa County and its residents are key participants in Napa’s countywide issues.
Furthermore, the letter requests that Napa County share districts with other counties that share like interests in agricultural, tourism and environmental sustainability, to include Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Lake, and Yolo Counties, respectively.
On March 16, 2021 the Napa County Board of Supervisors adopted three resolutions urging the Citizens Redistricting Commission to do the same.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
None.
CEQA:
The City Clerk has determined that the Recommended Action described in this Agenda Report is not subject to CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(c).
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Draft Letter
NOTIFICATION:
None.