REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Discussion and Direction on Ordinance Establishing a Public Process for Redistricting
Report
BACKGROUND
Sunnyvale voters adopted a six-district Council election system with a directly-elected mayor (Measure B) on March 3, 2020. Council placed Measure B on the ballot after a robust community engagement process. The process involved education and outreach related to the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA), community input on the number of preferred districts and selection of the mayor, and a community-driven map-making process. Council adopted a district map designed by community members on December 3, 2019 (RTC No.19-0679). It became effective with the passage of Measure B and was used in the first Council district elections in November 2020. This map used 2010 Census data for total population counts.
Jurisdictions with district-based election systems, like Sunnyvale, must review and re-draw their district boundaries every ten years after each decennial census. This process is called redistricting. Redistricting keeps population counts within each district relatively equal to ensure equal representation. As such, Sunnyvale must re-draw its six Council district boundaries using new 2020 Census data.
As part of Measure B (Sunnyvale City Charter section 609(b)), Council is required to adopt an ordinance establishing a public process for redistricting. Staff provided an overview of the redistricting process at a study session on January 12 (see Attachment 1). Council also discussed options and considerations for a public redistricting process at their Council Strategic Session on January 28.
EXISTING POLICY
Sunnyvale City Charter section 609(c): "The City Council shall adopt an ordinance establishing a public process for redistricting. Such ordinance shall be adopted in sufficient time for redistricting following release of the 2020 federal Census."
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a "projec...
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