Redistricting Meeting Draws Sparse Crowd, Some Heat

The redistricting hearings are drawing few residents from around the county so far, but one former congressional candidate took the opportunity Monday night to suggest that the redistricting would ultimately work to keep the five county supervisors in office.

Ray Lutz, who won the 2010 Democratic primary in the 52nd Congressional District but failed to beat Republican incumbent Duncan Hunter, told Ramona Patch that the county needs more supervisors to avoid corruption. He told the panel that the supervisors had been in for a long time.

About 10 residents attended the La Mesa public meeting of the County Redistricting Advisory Committee. Lutz was one of two people who addressed the panel, which is tasked with recommending any needed changes to the supervisorial districts based on any population shifts in the past 10 years.

The appointed committee is using data from the 2010 census and three other government sources. The goal is to have each of the five supervisorial districts represent the same number of residents.

The La Mesa hearing was provided for people who live in District 2, represented by Supervisor Dianne Jacob. The 2,000-square-mile district covers the eastern portion of San Diego county, from Poway, La Mesa and Lemon Grove to the Imperial County border and from Ramona, Julian and the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park to the Mexican border.

The Redistricting Advisory Committee was appointed by the County Board of Supervisors. Each supervisor nominated one candidate and then the candidates were approved by the full board. District 2 is represented by Deanna Weeks. Other members are Michael Anderson (District 4 and chairman), Adam Day (District 5 and vice chairman), Andrea Skorepa (District 1) and Dennis Ridz (District 3).

Residents at Monday night's meeting at the La Mesa Council Chambers were given a slide show presentation on population figures, the laws governing redistricting and ways in which the public can provide input. Residents can speak at the meetings or submit their own redistricting plan in an electronic file to the panel before May 9.

Several County staff working on the project were present. The growth in the district was not discussed because they are only working with current figures.

The committee will review all the data and will provide up to three plans for any district boundary changes to the County Board of Supervisors in June. The board is expected to adopt a final plan by early September.

Lutz represents a group called Citizens Oversight Projects. The other speaker was Scott Therkalsen, a Grossmont College geography teacher.

Citizen's Oversight is a watchdog group that keeps an eye on elected and appointed officials by attending meetings and asking questions. It also watches issues, such as the high voltage Sunrise Powerlink.

Lutz asked the panel whether the public will have a chance to weigh in on the three plans the committee offers to the board or whether the process will be done in a “smoke-filled room.” He said he believes it's likely that the Board of Supervisors will pick a redistricting plan that will enable each supervisor to stay in office and that they've been in there "a long time." Committee members reminded Lutz that the three plans will be presented at a public meeting of the Board of Supervisors and that the board will make its final decision at a public meeting.

After the meeting, Lutz told Ramona Patch that he feels the public meetings of the Redistricting Advisory Committee are a “road show” to make everyone feel good.

“We should have more supervisors,” he said, adding that having five supervisors to govern such a huge county leads to “more corruption possibility.”

Therkalsen asked if the supervisors will be limited to the three possible plans to be submitted by the panel. County staff responded that the panel is advisory and so the board is not mandated to select one of the three possible plans.

Anderson, the redistricting committee chairman, has been on a previous redistricting panel and was asked by another panel member what happened when the board adopted a plan then. He said the panel submitted two plans and the board chose one.

“The board did tweak it, but I would say they adopted about 80 percent of what we presented,” he said.

Other public meetings of the panel in other districts so far have drawn a total of four speakers.

“The redistricting within the city of San Diego is drawing a lot more interest at this time,” said Nicole Temple, the redistricting project manager.

Redistricting is required under federal, state and local law, according to a presentation by county staff. It's mandated under the federal Voting Rights Act, the state Elections Code and the County Charter.

When analyzing the population changes and trying to equalize voting districts, the panel must look at cohesiveness, contiguity, integrity and compactness of the geographic areas. Compactness, for example, means the ability of citizens to relate to each other and communicate and have available transportation within the district, so that the voting district isn't just an arbitrary geometric shape, county staff explained.

According to the 2010 census, San Diego county has 3,095,313 residents—2,371,145 of whom who are at least 18 years old (76.6 percent of the county population). The non-Hispanic white population is 48.5 percent of the county's population and the Hispanic population is 32 percent, according to the census figures provided by county staff. Asians represent 12 percent of the population and African-American or black residents make up 5.2 percent. Native American Indians and Alaska natives comprise 0.8 percent of the population. The remainder of residents are multiracial, Pacific Islanders or “some other race,” according to the census.

The racial breakdown in District 2 shows fewer people of color: non-Hispanic white (62.5 percent); Hispanic origin (23.5 percent); Asian (5.7 percent); black or African-American (5.4 percent).

The Redistricting Advisory Committee will meet next in San Marcos at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the council chambers.

For more information on San Diego county redistricting, click here.