Simple majority vote required
The Question: Shall the Charter of the City of Berkeley be amended to provide that the council district redistricting that occurs every ten years after the federal census shall be conducted by a citizens redistricting commission that is independent of the City Council?
The Situation: City Council members are elected to represent districts within the city. Currently those districts are established by the City Council. This measure establishes a Citizens Redistricting Commission to impartially establish the maps of the eight city districts.
The Proposal: The Citizens Redistricting Commission shall be solely responsible for drawing City Council district boundaries. The City Council shall have no role in developing or adopting a redistricting plan. Members of the Citizens Redistricting Commission shall be appointed following each decennial federal census as set forth below. The term of office of each member of the Commission shall expire upon the effectiveness of a redistricting plan for that decennial federal census period. Qualifications and eligibility: all registered Berkeley residents who have voted in the last two General Municipal elections are eligible for membership unless they are in categories identified as possibly biased.
Fiscal Effect: There will be a cost as the Commissioners will be paid, but the cost is expected to be lower than the cost of dissention and revolting that have been a hallmark of the old system.
Supporters Say: This system is patterned upon the very successful State of California Redistricting Commission. It will be fair and impartial.
Opponents Say: No argument was filed in opposition to this measure.
Supporters: Mayor Tom Bates; Deborah Malbec, President, League of Women Voters—Berkeley, Albany, Emeryville; Mansour Id Deen, President, Berkeley NAACP; Andre Luu, ASUC External Affairs Vice President; Shirley Dean, Former Mayor, City of Berkeley
Opponents: None listed
A “Yes” vote means: Berkeley City Council District lines will be drawn after each US Census, by a non-partisan Citizen’s Commission.
A “No” vote means: Berkeley City Council district lines will continue to be drawn by the City Council and then put up to a vote.