SPANISH: Audiencia final de redistribución de distritos del condado programada para el 7 de diciembre
VIETNAMESE: Buổi Điều Trần Cuối Cùng Của Quận Về Việc Tái Phân Chia Khu Vực Vào Ngày 7 Tháng Mười Hai
San Rafael, CA – The fourth and final public hearing about the County of Marin’s supervisorial redistricting process will take place online at 6 p.m. Tuesday, December 7. After the hearing, the Board of Supervisors will make a final recommendation about map boundary changes based on updated figures from the 2020 U.S. Census.
Redistricting assures each County Supervisor represents a similar number of people so that the County complies with the Voting Rights Act and state requirements. The process is required every 10 years following the completion of a national census. On December 7, the Supervisors will consider months of feedback accumulated from three previous public hearings, workshops, submitted maps from residents, demographic data from consultants, and previous Board deliberation as they select a final updated map. The staff report is online, and more materials can be found on RedistrictMarin.org.
The Board of Supervisors will consider months of feedback accumulated from previous public hearings, workshops, submitted maps from residents, demographic data from consultants, and previous Board deliberation as a final updated map is chosen.
County staff plans to present three map options on December 7, all of which include portions of downtown San Rafael moving from Supervisorial District 1 to District 4 to help balance the populations and reflect a community of interest in the Canal area of San Rafael. The areas recommended to move to District 4 are the Lincoln Avenue corridor just north of the downtown and portions of the Bret Harte and California Park neighborhoods southeast of downtown. The recommendations would better align the supervisorial boundaries with the Canal area district map adopted by the City of San Rafael in 2018 when it changed from at-large to district elections.
The first map option, called NDC Canal Map A, incorporates those changes and is recommended by staff. A variation called NDC Canal A1 includes the proposed alternations from Map A and also adds the Happy Valley and Montecito areas of eastern San Rafael into District 4. NDC Canal A2 is another variation that adds Homestead Valley, an unincorporated neighborhood adjacent to Mill Valley, into District 4, in-lieu of Map A1.
All other public proposals were considered but not recommended to proceed to the Board as final options. The three map recommendations are available to view on an interactive mapping tool for additional detail.
After the Board’s decision December 7, Registrar of Voters Lynda Roberts will receive the adopted revised map and work with technical specialists to ensure all precincts are mapped properly. By law, the Board of Supervisors must adopt the final map by December 15 to ensure the June 2022 primary election reflects any new boundaries.
When the new census figures are added to the existing district map, there is a total population deviation among the five districts of 9.18%. While current law allows up to 10% deviation, Supervisors have continued to consider adjustments to best ensure equitable resident representation. There has been considerable testimony about enhancing the representation of the Spanish-speaking population in downtown San Rafael, particularly those living in multifamily housing complexes, with lower annual incomes, and relatively higher levels of immigrant population as a distinct community of interest.
Marin’s updated 2020 countywide population of 258,553 (excluding San Quentin State Prison inmates) means that the “ideal” redrawn supervisorial district would have approximately 51,711 residents in each of the five districts. District 4 is the largest district geographically due to its relatively sparse population in West Marin.
With 48,283 total residents, current District 4 is about 6.6% underpopulated relative to the ideal population of 51,711. The remaining districts are nearer the ideal population. The recommended Map A reduces the total deviation from 9.18% to 2.65%.
Sign up to receive periodic emailed updates from County staff under the topic “Marin Supervisorial Redistricting 2021” or check the California Secretary of State’s webpage on redistricting. Video and accompanying documents from past meetings are available on the public website, RedistrictMarin.org, and feedback can be emailed to County staff.
For disability accommodations, please phone (415) 473-6358 (voice), CA Relay 711, or email the redistricting staff at least five business days in advance of the event. The County will do its best to fulfill requests received with less than five business days’ notice. Copies of documents are available in alternative formats, upon request.