Redistricting Information 2021

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Welcome to the Redistricting Page for the City of Oroville!

Oroville's City Council in undergoing a redistricting process. Every ten years, local governments use new census data to redraw their district lines to reflect how local populations have changed. Assembly Bill 849 (2019) requires cities and counties to engage communities in the redistricting process by holding public hearings and/or workshops and doing public outreach, including to non English-speaking communities. Oroville will continue to have six City Council members and a mayor who will be elected by all voters in the City after the redistricting process is complete.

What is redistricting?

Every ten years, districts must be redrawn so that each district is substantially equal in population. This process, called redistricting, is important in ensuring that each city councilmember represents about the same number of constituents. In Oroville, the City Council is responsible for drawing council districts. Redistricting is done using U.S. Census data. For the City of Oroville, the redistricting process must be completed by April 17, 2022.

Why does redistricting matter to me?

Redistricting determines which neighborhoods and communities are grouped together into a district for purposes of electing a councilmember. The City Council will seek input in selecting the next district map for our City Council. You have an opportunity to share with the City Council how you think district boundaries should be drawn to best represent your community. You can contact the City Clerk at cityclerk@cityoforoville.org to find out more about how the process works.

What do the existing council districts look like?

You can find a map of the City’s current council districts here with the 2020 Census deviations added: Click HERE

We need your help!

The City Council would like to hear from all residents of Oroville about where the district boundaries should be redrawn. In order to enable everyone to participate, the Council has decided to implement a transparent process consisting of public input hearings at which feedback will be collected. Residents will also be able to communicate with the City’s districting team by sending input by email, regular mail, or dropping off input at the City Clerk’s office at City Hall. This webpage will serve as the portal to all news about Oroville's districting process and handouts, documents, and other important info will be available here; Please check back for updates!

Our Redistricting Criteria:

All electoral districts have to be drawn using specific criteria to comply with the state and federal constitutions, state law, and the federal Voting Rights Act.

The redistricting criteria for California cities are ranked in California Elections Code. Section 21601:

Equal population (Districts must roughly contain the same number of residents counted in the last census)
Compliance with the Federal Voting Rights Act
Contiguity
Respect for* local neighborhoods and Communities of Interest (COIs). COIs may not include relationships with political parties, incumbents, or political candidates.
Boundaries should be easily identifiable and understandable by residents
Compactness: If it doesn’t conflict with preceding criteria

Finally, the Council must not adopt districts that favor or discriminate against political parties. The most important criterion on which the council will need your help with is where Communities of Interest are located in the City. If you would like to provide information about your Community of Interest, please use the COI Form linked below

Timeline:

Hearings will be held at City Hall on the following dates:

Tuesday, October 19, 2021 at 5:15 pm - DONE
Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 6:00 PM - DONE
Wednesday, December 15, 2021 - Community Workshop 5-7pm
Thursday, December 16, 2021 at 6:00pm
Thursday, January 6, 2021 at 6pm

How will our City Council notify the public about redistricting?

The City Council will reach out to local media to publicize the redistricting process. Also, we will make a good faith effort to notify community groups of various kinds about the redistricting process. Our public hearings and workshop will be provided in applicable languages if residents submit a request in advance. The City Council will notify the public about redistricting hearings and workshop, post maps online before adoption, and create a dedicated web page for all relevant information about the redistricting process.

Process:

The public hearings are designed to be as accessible and transparent as possible. During the first hearing, on October 19, and members of the public will be able to provide input on the district composition before any draft maps are developed. The City attorney along with the City’s demographer will present residents with an overview of the districting process and explain the applicable criteria.

At the hearing on December 16, the demographer will present one or more working draft maps that will be developed based on input received at the first two meetings. The City Council will review the working draft(s) of the district map(s) during the meeting, and give direction to the demographer on how to modify the draft(s), which will be done live and in public.

The Council will meet once more to discuss the draft map on January 6, 2022.

Ordinance Readings are tentatively scheduled for January 18, 2022 and February 1, 2022