Tag: population balance

Huge population variance leads MCCSC to mull proposal for new board seat district map

In 2024, anyone who wants to win election to a board seat for the Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC) will likely be navigating by a district map that is different from the current one.

This is a proposed board seat district map for MCCSC, which appears on the July 25, 2023 board meeting agenda for adoption. This map is unofficial in that the boundaries were drawn by The B Square, based on the information available from MCCSC. The white triangles indicate where incumbent board members live—based on public records. Each of the tiny dots plotted out on the map correspond to 1 person as counted in the 2020 census. The image links to a high resolution .pdf version of the map.

That’s because some changes to MCCSC’s governing plan are set to get a vote by the seven-member board at its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday night.

It’s the governing plan for MCCSC that needs to be amended in order to change the board seat district boundaries. (Attendance boundaries for specific schools are not related to this discussion.)

The board kicked off the redistricting process by adopting a resolution at the start of 2023. The resolution stated, in part, that the board “does hereby commit to commencing with the process of board district realignment.”

It was in 1994, nearly three decades ago, when MCCSC last set its board district boundaries.

But it’s not just the pure passage of time that has led the board finally to consider redrawing the boundaries. It’s because after 30 years, with no adjustments made to the boundaries, the relative population figures for the board districts are now dramatically out of whack.

Based on the 2020 census numbers, the board districts show a whopping 72.5 percent population variance. Continue reading “Huge population variance leads MCCSC to mull proposal for new board seat district map” →

Now settled: New district boundaries for Bloomington city council 2023 elections

The new boundaries for the six Bloomington city council districts are now settled for the 2023 city elections.

Map recommended by Bloomington’s redistricting advisory commission: https://districtr.org/plan/139342 Or see this Google interactive map with layers for some communities of interest.

On a 5–4 vote at a special meeting on Thursday, the city council adopted a map that was recommended by a five-member redistricting advisory commission.

The inclusion of two “central” districts, which don’t touch any non-city area, is a feature of the new map that makes it different from the one that was adopted in 2012, which included just one central district.

The map adopted in 2012 has served for the last two city elections, in 2015 and 2019.

The task of drawing new city council districts comes at least every 10 years, in the second year following the decennial census, so that the population of districts can be balanced out.

On the newly adopted map, the prominence of the 3rd Street boundary between Perry Township and Bloomington Township is evident, which is another feature that makes it different from the 2012 map.

The new map falls just one precinct short of dividing the city perfectly along the line between Perry and Bloomington townships.

Along with the two central districts, the map features four districts that touch the periphery of the city, bordering on non-city areas of the county.

Six of the nine Bloomington councilmembers are elected by voters in a geographic subset of the city—that is, a district. The other three councilmembers are elected by all city voters. They’re often called “at-large” members.

Thursday’s 5–4 split decision on the new map came along familiar lines. The majority was made up of Susan Sandberg, Dave Rollo, Ron Smith, Jim Sims and Sue Sgambelluri. The four dissenting votes came from Matt Flaherty, Kate Rosenbarger, Isabel Piedmont-Smith and Steve Volan. Continue reading “Now settled: New district boundaries for Bloomington city council 2023 elections” →

New Bloomington city council districts: Vote put off at least until Oct. 6

After more than two hours of deliberation on Wednesday, the Bloomington city council postponed until Oct. 6 further consideration of new boundaries for city council districts.

The council’s special meeting, now set for Oct. 6, coincides with the Democratic Party’s Vi Taliaferro Dinner—an annual fundraiser that is scheduled to start at the council’s usual meeting time of 6:30 p.m.

That’s why the all-Democrat council voted 9–0 to convene its special meeting for Oct. 6 at 5 p.m. The council set a time limit of one hour.

The council’s annual calendar had already called for a committee meeting on Oct. 6—which is a Thursday, instead of the usual Wednesday. The one-day shift avoids a conflict with Yom Kippur, which falls on Wednesday. The council canceled that committee meeting in favor of the one-hour special meeting.

On Oct. 6, the council could vote to adopt the new map that has been recommended by Bloomington’s redistricting advisory commission.

Another option would be to reject the map, and send the matter back to the five-member redistricting commission with the reasons for the council’s rejection.

Or the council could again postpone any decision. Continue reading “New Bloomington city council districts: Vote put off at least until Oct. 6” →

Likely no deliberations this week on new map for Bloomington city council districts

Bloomington city council boundaries recommended by redistricting advisory commission on Aug. 31, 2022.
B Square file photo of Bloomington city council president Susan Sandberg.

Bloomington’s city council almost certainly won’t be deliberating on a potential new district map ordinance at a committee meeting this Wednesday.

The new boundaries that are spelled out in the map ordinance were recommended by the city’s redistricting advisory commission two weeks ago. Consideration of new boundaries for the council’s six districts is required every 10 years in the second year after the decennial census.

But still on the agenda for the council’s 6:30 p.m. Wednesday special meeting  is the first reading of the ordinance that would adopt new boundaries for the council’s districts. The first reading will likely still take place, but nothing else. Continue reading “Likely no deliberations this week on new map for Bloomington city council districts” →

Bloomington city council sets schedule to consider new district boundaries, could lead to Sept. 21 vote

Bloomington city council boundaries recommended by redistricting advisory commission on Aug. 31, 2022.
From left: Bloomington redistricting advisory commission members Amanda Sheridan and Alex Semchuck (Aug. 31, 2022)

The first reading of the ordinance establishing new boundaries for Bloomington’s city council districts will come at a special meeting next week, on Sept. 14.

Discussion at a committee-of-the-whole meeting is set to follow, right after the special meeting.

That sets up a possible vote the following week, on Sept. 21—to adopt or reject the new map that has been recommended by the five-member redistricting advisory commission.

The city council also has a work session set for noon on Friday (Sept. 9) that will include the proposed new council districts.

That anticipated schedule was established by the city council at its Wednesday meeting (Sept. 7).

The schedule came after 40 minutes of debate on Wednesday about the benefits and deficiencies of committee-of-the-whole meetings—which is an issue that has plagued this edition of Bloomington’s city council since its term started on Jan. 1, 2020. Continue reading “Bloomington city council sets schedule to consider new district boundaries, could lead to Sept. 21 vote” →

Column: New Bloomington city council districts should get a vote on Sept. 21, but probably won’t

Last Wednesday, Bloomington’s redistricting advisory commission voted to recommend a set of new population-balanced districts for the city council, which would be used starting with the 2023 city elections.

This Wednesday morning (Sept. 7), the advisory commission is set to take a vote on the report that will be forwarded to the city council for its consideration.

Based on its current schedule, the city council could—if it set its collective mind to it—take a vote to adopt or reject the new map and report as soon as the regular council meeting that is set for Sept. 21.

But under the city’s redistricting ordinance, the council could wait almost six weeks, until Nov. 1, to adopt or reject the advisory commission’s map.

Still, the current lull—between last week’s departmental budget presentations and the first reading of the final 2023 budget set for Sept. 28—makes for a perfect time for the city council to give the recommended map an up-or-down vote. Continue reading “Column: New Bloomington city council districts should get a vote on Sept. 21, but probably won’t” →

New Bloomington council district lines proposed, advisory commission report set for Sept. 7 adoption

On a 4–0 vote taken on Wednesday night, Bloomington’s redistricting advisory commission settled on new boundary lines for the six city council districts, which will be recommended by the group to the city council.

The commission is set to meet next Wednesday (Sept. 7) to finalize its report on the recommended map.

The city council has until Nov. 1 to either adopt or reject the recommended map. If it’s rejected, the redistricting advisory commission has until Dec. 1 to respond to the council. Under state law, the city council has to adopt a new population-balanced map by the end of the year.

The work for city council redistricting takes place in the second year following the decennial census. The point of redistricting work is to restore population balance to the districts that might have shifted in the last 10 years.

Highlights of the new map include the prominence of 3rd Street as an east-west running boundary that is generally respected by every district—with one exception.

The 3rd Street boundary corresponds to the line between Bloomington Township and Perry Township. Political subdivisions like townships are among the “communities of interest” described in local code, which proposed new districts are supposed to avoid splitting. Continue reading “New Bloomington council district lines proposed, advisory commission report set for Sept. 7 adoption” →

2 possible city council maps mulled by Bloomington redistricting commission, but one might not be legal

At Monday night’s meeting of Bloomington’s redistricting commission, just one of the proposed maps drew the initial attention of the five members. By the end of the night, based on a public comment, they’d added a second one to the mix for further consideration.

But the second map might not be legal, because it looks like it leaves one of the districts unconnected to some of its parts. The B Square has inquired with the Indiana state election division’s legal counsel about the legality of the second map.

On Monday, commissioners scheduled two additional meetings to complete their work, which has a deadline of Sept. 7. Under the city’s 2020 ordinance that established the commission, it’s by that date when they have to recommend a new district map to the city council.

The next meeting is set for Wednesday, Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. The fifth, and possibly final, meeting of the commission is set for Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 8:15 a.m. It’s possible that the vote on a recommended map could come at the Aug. 31 meeting. Continue reading “2 possible city council maps mulled by Bloomington redistricting commission, but one might not be legal” →

Sept. 7 deadline looms: Bloomington redistricting advisory commission set for Monday meeting

The third meeting of Bloomington’s redistricting advisory commission is set for Monday (Aug. 22) at 7:30 p.m. in the McCloskey Conference Room at city hall.

The city council districts are supposed to be redrawn every 10 years, in the second year following the decennial census, in order to achieve as good a population balance as possible across the six districts.

The commission has met just twice so far—on July 11 and July 25. The first meeting addressed mostly organizational matters. Not much in the way of deliberations took place at the second meeting.

So it’s not clear what, if any, consensus might exist among the five commissioners on key issues. One of those issues is how much weight to give various “communities of interest” when they evaluate the merits of a proposed map, compared against another proposal.

The commission is now working under somewhat of a time crunch. Under the late 2020 local ordinance that established the commission, the advisory group is supposed to give the city council a recommended map by Sept. 7, which is just a little more than two weeks away. Continue reading “Sept. 7 deadline looms: Bloomington redistricting advisory commission set for Monday meeting” →

Redistricting notebook: How do current Bloomington city council districts split up neighborhoods?

A second meeting of Bloomington’s redistricting commission was held last Monday (July 25).

Map of six current Bloomington city council districts overlaid with boundaries of neighborhood associations. The image links to a dynamic map.

The meeting included a look at some maps drawn by the public and one map created by a commissioner.

Deliberations were light on substantive issues, and did not offer much insight into the factors that commissioners will see as most significant, when they recommend a new district map to the city council.

The main takeaway from the July 25 meeting was the scheduling of an additional meeting,  for Aug. 22 at 7:30 p.m. The next meeting had already been scheduled—for Aug. 9 at 9:30 a.m.

Under the new city ordinance, the commission has until Sept. 7 to make its recommendation for six population-balanced city council districts. Redistricting work for the city council has to be done every 10 years, in the second year following the decennial census.

It’s the city council that will make the final decision on the new districts, and the decision has to be made before the end of the year. The timeframe for the work of the redistricting commissioners has been compressed, because they were not seated by the city council until mid-June, almost 18 months after they were supposed to be appointed. Continue reading “Redistricting notebook: How do current Bloomington city council districts split up neighborhoods?” →