What: Council is working out the criteria it will use for redistricting, with advice from outside counsel.
Where it stands: On October 6 the council adopted the redistricting criteria with an added eleventh criterion on military-installation population and directed four draft maps.
Next: Four draft ward maps, aimed for the October 20 council meeting; public hearing on about two maps; adoption targeted for January 2027.
Details
Details of the procedural dispute and the proposed criteria were not captured in the notes read.
Outside counsel presented a resolution to begin the redistricting process, keeping the four ward seats and two at-large seats and recognizing the territory added under Session Law 2026-56. Counsel said census data may be used, a public hearing is required at some point, and that criteria, and whether to appoint a citizens committee, would be decided later. The resolution was approved by voice vote on a motion by Jerome Willingham.
Outside counsel presented on redistricting. The motion on the criteria resolution was deferred after a procedural dispute.
The consultant outlined required criteria (equal population within 5 percent, no consideration of race) and optional ones, including avoiding double-bunking incumbents. Council debated a military-installation population criterion and unanimously deferred the criteria motion to the next meeting.
Counsel reviewed the motion dispute; the city attorney still advised the Mayor Pro Tem's amendment was out of order, and it was withdrawn. After debate over a proposed eleventh criterion (equal distribution of military-installation population among wards to the extent possible), a motion to table failed and the criteria resolution was adopted with the eleventh criterion; vote counts were not clear in the captions. Counsel gave a January 2027 target and the council directed the GIS analyst to prepare four draft maps, aiming for October 20.
Two residents spoke in public comment on ward redistricting, one urging that military base housing residents be divided equally among wards if wards are kept, and one asking why the ward system is changing. Council took no action at this meeting.
Redistricting counsel introduced four initial ward map scenarios from 2020 census data, all within the plus or minus 5 percent range; no decision was made, with council feedback planned for Nov 17 and a public input process and hearing to be scheduled.