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The City Council is asking for your help planning our City’s change to by-district Council elections. The City of Richmond, like over 60 cities and 150 school districts across the state, is making a change in how voters elect the City Council.
Beginning in 2020, City Council members will be elected district by district, instead of the current at-large citywide elections in which all voters have the ability to vote for all City Council seats.
We need your help to make this change!
The primary goal when drawing Council election districts is to draw lines that keep neighborhoods together. So the Council wants to know: what do you consider the boundaries of your neighborhood?
The City of Richmond will hold two Community Workshops starting at 7:00 p.m. on December 5, 2019, at the Hilltop Community Church (Activity Room, 3118 Shane Drive, Richmond) and December 10, 2019, at the Booker T. Anderson Community Center (960 S 47th Street, Richmond) to receive input from the community regarding communities of interest and draft maps submitted for review. These workshops are in addition to the public hearings scheduled as part of the City Council meetings. More information under the "Schedule" tab above.
More information will be posted to this page as the process moves forward.
Anticipated Meeting Schedule (updated 11/20/2019)
DATE | EVENT | COMMENT |
November 5, 2019 | 1st Public Hearing | Council to receive input from community to be used to draw preliminary district maps. No maps yet drawn. |
November 14, 2019 November 18, 2019 | Community Workshops #1 & #2 | Staff provides a presentation regarding the move to district elections, demonstrates the mapping tools and receives input on map designs. City Council Chamber, 450 Civic Center Plaza at 6:30 p.m. |
November 19, 2019 | 2nd Public Hearing | Council to receive additional input from community to be used to draw preliminary district maps. No maps yet drawn. |
November 21, 2019 | Initial Map Submission Deadline | Deadline to submit maps that will be posted November 26 and considered by Council at third public hearing. |
November 26, 2019 | Publish Draft Maps and Potential Sequence of Elections. | Maps will be posted at least 7 days prior to the third public hearing. |
December 3, 2019 | 3rd Public Hearing | Regarding draft maps and proposed sequence of elections. |
December 5, 2019 | Community Workshop #3 | Staff to receive input from community regarding communities of interest and draft maps submitted for review. Hilltop Community Church (Activity Room), 3118 Shane Drive, Richmond at 7:00 p.m. |
December 6, 2019 | Revised Maps Deadline | Deadline to submit revisions to posted maps that will be posted December 10 and considered by Council at fourth public hearing. |
December 10, 2019 | Community Workshop #4 | Staff to receive input from community regarding posted maps. Booker T. Anderson Community Center, 960 S 47th Street, Richmond at 7:00 p.m. |
December 17, 2019 | 4th Public Hearing | Expected that Council will select map to establish district boundaries, introduce an ordinance establishing district elections, and determine election sequence. |
January 14, 2020 | Expected that Council will adopt maps and ordinance establishing district elections. |
Draft Maps
The most detailed way to see each draft map is using the interactive review map. The link takes you to a website where you can view all of the maps and zoom in and out to see the map details.
A printable PDF version of each proposed map is below, including a 2nd page providing the demographics of each district in each map:
Map 101 Alternative Map 101b Map 102 Map 103 Alternative Map 103b Alternative Map 103c Map 104 Map 105 Map 106
Map 107 Map 108 Map 109 Map 110 Map 111 Map 112 Map 113 Map 114 Map 115 Alternative Map 115b
A listing of the comments submitted by each map author (including the name of each map’s author) is available here at this link:
Plan Submitter Comments (updated 12-10-19)
The proposed election sequence for each map (listing which districts are proposed for 2020 elections, and which for 2022) is available here at this link:
Proposed Election Sequence by Plan (updated 12-10-19)
The National Demographics Corporation report on plan tiers (with maps grouped by legally safest by the Federal and State criteria) is available here at this link:
Draw A Map
Districting is different than most issues that come before the City Council. Instead of being limited to saying you support or oppose a City-prepared ordinance or resolution, you can draw a map yourself!
Partial map drawings and maps drawn to show only your specific areas of interest are acceptable.
There are a variety of map-drawing tools available below:
1. Paper-only maps
Tools needed:
2. Paper maps with a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to calculate population totals
Tools needed:
3. Online mapping tool to draw maps census block by census block and submit maps electronically.
Optional tutorials and guides:
4. Interactive Review Map to zoom in and out on map boundaries, view population counts/ID#s, and view draft maps (once the draft maps are released).
Tools needed:
Submit maps to Richmond@NDCresearch.com or to the City Clerk’s office (maps drawn using the online mapping tool are submitted electronically). After you submit your map, the City’s demographic consultants will generate the population and other demographic details for your proposed map.
All draft maps will be posted seven days in advance of the City Council hearing. Maps can be viewed on the Draft Maps page or on the Interactive Review Map.
Deadline for submitting maps:
November 21, 2019 (for consideration at the December 3 public hearing)
December 6, 2019 (for consideration at the December 17 public hearing)
Questions about using the kits?
For any questions about using the kits, contact Douglas Johnson or Shalice Tilton from National Demographics Consultants: Phone: (310) 200-2058; E-Mail: djohnson@NDCresearch.com or stilton@NDCresearch.com.
Additional Questions? Please Contact Us!
U.S. Mail: City Clerk’s Office, 450 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, CA 94804
Phone: (510) 620-6513
E-mail: cityclerkdept@ci.richmond.ca.us
DISTRICT ELECTIONS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’s)
What is the City of Richmond’s current election system?
What are district elections?
Why is the City of Richmond considering going from at-large to district elections?
On September 11, 2019, the City of Richmond received a letter from Attorney At Law Scott J. Rafferty alleging that its at-large council member electoral system violates the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA). This type of letter is the first step a party must take to later bring a CVRA lawsuit against a City. While the City is confident that its current electoral system does not run afoul of the CVRA or any other provision of law, the City Council has determined that the public interest would be best served by considering the transition to a district-based electoral system because:
(1) The high cost to defend against a CVRA lawsuit,
(2) The risk of losing such a lawsuit, which would require the City to pay the prevailing plaintiffs' attorneys' fees, and
(3) A jurisdiction can limit the amount of its liability to prospective plaintiffs and their attorneys to a maximum amount of $30,000 for reimbursable expenses and costs (the "safe harbor provision")
What are the criteria for creating election districts?
In addition to complying with the Federal Voting Rights Act and federal law, the criteria for creating districts include:
How will the election district boundaries be decided?
How can I participate in the decision-making process?
Anticipated Meeting Schedule:
DATE | EVENT | COMMENT |
November 5, 2019 | 1st Public Hearing | Council to receive input from community to be used to draw preliminary district maps. No maps yet drawn. |
November 14, 2019 November 18, 2019 | Community Workshop#1 and #2 | Staff provides a presentation regarding the move to district elections, demonstrates the mapping tools and receives input on map designs. |
November 19, 2019 | 2nd Public Hearing | Council to receive additional input from community to be used to draw preliminary district maps. No maps yet drawn. |
November 21, 2019 | Initial Map Submission Deadline | Deadline to submit maps that will be posted November 26 and considered by Council at third public hearing. |
November 26, 2019 | Publish Draft Maps and Potential Sequence of elections. | Maps will be posted at least 7 days prior to the third public hearing. |
December 3, 2019 | 3rd Public Hearing | Regarding draft maps and proposed sequence of elections. |
December 5, 2019 | Community Workshop#3 7 - 8:30 p.m. Hilltop Community Church (Activity Room) 3118 Shane Drive, Richmond | Staff to receive input from community regarding draft maps submitted for review. |
December 6, 2019 December 10, 2019 | Revised Maps Deadline Community Workshop#4 7 - 8:30 p.m. Booker T. Anderson Community Center 960 S. 47th Street, Richmond | Deadline to submit revisions to posted maps that will be posted December 10 and considered by Council at fourth public hearing. Staff to receive input from community regarding posted maps. |
December 17, 2019 | 4th Public Hearing | Expected that Council will select map to establish district boundaries, introduce an ordinance establishing district elections, and determine election sequence. |
January 14, 2020 | Expected that Council will adopt maps and ordinance establishing district elections. |
All meetings will be held at the City Council Chambers, 440 Civic Center Plaza, beginning at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise determined. Check the City’s website for individual meeting materials.
Once voting districts are established, how often are their boundaries reviewed?
Additional Questions? Please Contact Us!
U.S. Mail: City Clerk’s Office, 450 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, CA 94804 Phone: (510) 620-6513Website:
E-mail: cityclerkdept@ci.richmond.ca.us
Letter from Attorney Scott J. Rafferty (September 11, 2019)
Staff Report (October 22, 2019)
Resolution of Intention No. 99-19 (October 22, 2019)
Implementation Timeline (updated November 20, 2019)
Staff Report (November 5, 2019)
National Demographics Corporation (NDC) Presentation (November 5, 2019)
Staff Report (November 19, 2019)
Community Workshop #1 Presentation (November 14, 2019) and Video (full version)
Community Workshop #2 Audio (November 18, 2019)
Email from Attorney Scott J. Rafferty (November 27, 2019)
Staff Report (December 3, 2019)
NDC Presentation (December 3, 2019)
Community Workshop #3 Presentation (December 5, 2019)
Community Workshop #3 Audio (December 5, 2019)
Email from Attorney Scott J. Rafferty (December 6, 2019)
Notice of Public Hearing No. 1 - November 5, 2019
Notice of Public Hearing No. 2 - November 19, 2019
Notice of Public Hearing No. 3 - December 3, 2019