Font ResizeLAS CRUCES - A curve ball was thrown Monday to city council during its work session.
This time, the council didn't mind the unexpected pitch.
An update on the process to redraw the boundaries for the six city council districts instead turned into consensus from the council to create a citizen's advisory committee that will review three initial redistricting plans developed by Research and Polling Inc. of Albuquerque, the company hired by the city to conduct redistricting. The exercise will determine which voters are represented by each of the six council districts.
The data for determining new council district boundaries will come from the 2010 U.S. census, whose findings for Las Cruces are anticipated to be released in late March. Census Bureau officials have not announced an exact date.
But city officials believe that council districts could increase from the approximately 12,000 residents per district to about 17,500 when census data is released and new boundary lines are proposed.
Common cause
But the idea to create an ad-hoc committee to review Research and Polling's initial redistricting plans came from Las Cruces representatives of Common Cause, a liberal nonpartisan, nonprofit citizens' lobby and advocacy organization. The organization was founded in 1970 by Republican John W. Gardner, a former cabinet secretary for President Lyndon Johnson. The organization's mission focuses on making U.S. political institutions more open and accountable to
"I'm encouraged a citizen's group wants to do this," Councilor Olga Pedroza said.
Councilor, and Mayor Pro Tem, Sharon Thomas added, "We need to make this (redistricting) as open and transparent as possible. And, I think we're in the right direction."
City Manager Robert Garza said Las Crucens Bill McCamley and Phil Banks, both of Common Cause, made a compelling argument for creating a citizen's ad-hoc committee.
"I think what will be achieved here is a value added process," Garza said. "After the council endorsed the idea of creating this committee, we, city staff, were able to begin work on it right away. We'll be prepared to bring a resolution forward for the council's formal consideration and approval at next week's council meeting, on Feb. 22. At the March 7 council meeting, they'll be able to appoint residents to serve on that committee."
Avoiding 'politics'
Forming the ad-hoc committee will not increase city costs, and there should not be any additional time needed to get approval of a final redistricting plan.
A goal of completing the city redistricting process by the end of June has been proposed by the council.
"Our goal is to take politics as far as possible out of the process," said McCamley, a former Do a Ana County commissioner. "Because the city's elections are nonpartisan anyway, that should be a help."
McCamley added that by forming the committee, there should be increased opportunities for interested residents to become involved in the process.
"There will be committee meetings in addition to the three combined council work sessions and public meetings that are being planned," he said. "Those committee meetings could be conducted at various times of the day. So, say someone can't attend an afternoon meeting because of work, they could attend any or all of the remaining committee meetings."
Formation of a citizen's ad-hoc committee to review redistricting plans has never been done in Las Cruces. A similar committee has reviewed previous redistricting plans in Albuquerque, so McCamley said Las Cruces would become only the second municipality in the state to form a citizen's review committee.
The proposal has also been made to the Do a Ana County Board of Commissioners, and McCamley feels it was well received. If county commissioners agree to a similar proposal for county redistricting, Do a Ana County could become the first in the state to have citizen's committee review redistricting plans countywide.
"We're more concerned at the county level that there would be more partisanship," McCamley said. "But it's a very important process for democracy. ... We're extremely grateful that the city council and the county are willing to consider this."
Steve Ramirez can be reached at (575) 541-5452
Public feedback
• A citizen's ad-hoc committee will be formed to review three initial city council redistricting plans that will be developed by Research and Polling Inc., of Albuquerque, the company hired by the city to conduct the redrawing of city council district boundaries.
• A resolution approving the formation of the committee will go to the council for approval on Feb. 22.
• Each of the six city council districts would have two residents appointed to the 12-person committee.
• People chosen for the committee will be announced at the council's March 7 meeting.
• The committee is not anticipated to add to the cost to complete or the time it takes to conduct redistricting.
• Any interested resident could attend any, or all, committee meetings, in addition to three work sessions and public meetings that will be conducted during the redistricting process.
