Report Prepared by: Jennifer Levesque, Assistant City Clerk, City Clerk's Department
Title
SUBJECT: Introduction of an Ordinance Amending Chapter 1.17 Entitled City Council Districts Adding the UC Merced Annexation Area and the Virginia Smith Trust (VST) Annexation Area to City Council District 6 of the Council District Map
REPORT IN BRIEF
Considers introducing an Ordinance amending Chapter 1.17 adding the newly UC Merced Annexation area and the newly Virginia Smith Trust Annexation area to City Council District 6 of the Council District map.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion introducing Ordinance 2576, an Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Merced, California, Amending Chapter 1.17 Entitled "City Council Districts" of the Merced Municipal Code.
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve with recommend changes by City Council; or,
2. Deny; or,
3. Refer to Staff for reconsideration of specific items; or,
4. Continue to a future meeting.
AUTHORITY
Election Code 21623, subd. (a).
DISCUSSION
Since 2012, the City has been comprised of six single-member electoral districts. In 2021/2022, after the federal decennial census and under the Fair and Inclusive Redistricting for Municipalities and Political Subdivisions (FAIR MAPS) Act (AB 849), the City Council held numerous redistricting public hearings. On March 15, 2022, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2022-07, adjusting the boundaries of City Council Election Districts following the 2020 United States Census.
Pursuant to the California Elections Code (EC), after redistricting, a city council shall not adopt new council district boundaries until after the next federal decennial census, except under the following circumstances: 1) court order; 2) the council is settling a legal claim that its boundaries violate the U.S. Constitution, the federal Voting Rights Act; 3) the boundaries of the city change by the addition of territory due to annexation or by subtraction of territory; 4) the number...
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