The City of Nacogdoches is soliciting public comment on draft maps and population/demographic tables proposed for redistricting of its single-member wards.
“Bojorquez Law Firm, PLLC out of Austin has proposed two draft scenarios for consideration based on census data indicating the City of Nacogdoches grew 10.30%, making the wards out of balance” stated City Manager Jim Jeffers. “The proposed maps and population/demographic data will be on display in the main hallway on the third floor of City Hall for anyone to review and make comment on during normal business hours.”
The City Council has adopted the following criteria for redistricting of council ward lines:
• Easily identifiable geographic boundaries should be followed where possible
• Communities of interest should be maintained in a single ward were possible, and attempts should be made to avoid splitting neighborhoods
• Wards should be composed of whole voting precincts to the extent possible; or if not possible, drawn in a way that permit creation of practical voting precincts and allows for adequate facilities for polling places within the precinct
• Wards must be configured so they are relatively equal in total population. In no event should total deviation between the largest and smallest ward exceed ten percent (10%) using the 2010 Census data
• Wards should be compact and composed of contiguous territory
• Consideration may be given to the preservation of incumbent-constituency relations by recognition of the residence of incumbents and their history in representing certain areas
• The plan should be narrowly tailored to avoid retrogression in the position of racial minorities and language minorities with respect to their effective exercise of the electoral franchise and should not fragment a geographically compact minority community or pack minority voters in the presence of polarized voting so as to create liability under section 2 of the Voting Rights Act
• Where possible, single-member districts should be composed of whole census block groups or blocks
• Best efforts should be made to insure no shift in ward lines will be undertaken that would dilute or minimize the effect of the black voters in elections in the City of Nacogdoches
Public comments will be accepted until August 2, 2011 and may be submitted to the City Manager or City Secretary, or directly to the Bojorquez Law Firm by calling (512-250-0411).
Alternative plans may be submitted for consideration, but must be submitted in writing; show the total population and Voting Age Population for Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and White/Other for each proposed City Council ward; must redistrict the entire City, conform to the redistricting criteria adopted by the City Council; and must be submitted to the City Secretary by August 23, 2011.
Redistricting maps and information may also be found on the City’s website at www.ci.nacogdoches.tx.us.
