Redistricting

by Councilman Scott Peters
September 13, 2001

My office has received a lot of calls from La Jollans concerned about the redistricting of part of La Jolla out of Council District One. I represent this district, have the same frustration, and want to share with you some of the background that led to this result.

After each census, which occurs every ten years, the City of San Diego must redraw the boundaries of its eight council districts to ensure the population of each district is approximately equal. The same process occurs at every level of government - including the United States Congress, the California legislature, and the County Board of Supervisors - to ensure that each citizen's vote carries the same weight.

In the City of San Diego, the redistricting process is no longer conducted by the City Council. In 1992, San Diego voters approved a change to the City Charter that entrusted redistricting to a seven-member Redistricting Commission appointed by a Superior Court judge. In an attempt to take the politics out of redistricting, this change also removed accountability to the public and to communities, an impact that we didn't anticipate, and only now can see its consequences. For example, none of the members of the recent Redistricting Commission was a resident of La Jolla or even of District One.

Growth over the past decade has been greatest in the northern part of the City. That meant that District One was approximately 8,000 residents over the new target population for each district (to achieve this goal of citizen's votes carrying equal weight) and District Five (along the northern I-15 corridor) had 35,000 residents more than the target. District Two, the coastal district to the south of La Jolla, grew the least and was 22,000 under the target population. Our concern about the Commission splitting the La Jolla community in two was immediate - the first idea floated by Redistricting Commission staff was to put half of La Jolla, from Nautilus Street south, including Bird Rock and all of Mount Soledad, into District Two.

Public testimony was unanimously opposed to this idea at the Redistricting Commission hearing held in District One in May. I testified that District One should remain as is, because even with the additional population, the district was within five percent of the target population, the margin that the Commission had set for itself. Currently, the District contains communities of interest (another important goal of redistricting: to keep communities of interest together) around the coastline, Highway I-5 and the future State Route 56. And most important, all of the community planning areas are intact - none were split with other Council districts, as Linda Vista, Pacific Beach and City Heights now are.

The Commission ended up considering two alternative maps. One, championed by the Asian Pacific Islanders for Fair Redistricting, would have created a new District Two including Carmel Valley and Rancho Peñasquitos, between Highways 5 and 15, including the entire district that lies to the east of Interstate 805 and Interstate 5. District One would have extended south to Mission Bay and east to Clairemont. This map drew strenuous objections, however, for a number of reasons. One of these was because the map put both Councilmembers Donna Frye and Brian Maienschein into District Five, with the representation of that district to be decided by - yes, it's in the Charter - the drawing of lots. Heads, Rancho Bernardo is represented by Brian, tails, it's Donna.

Under the commission's final map, District One lost population to District Two, which hungrily gobbled residents from each of the contiguous districts to satisfy the need to produce the " balancing act" goal of approximately equivalent voters in each district. It was less of a loss than the Redistricting Commission staff's original idea. We lost the southeast portion of Mt. Soledad, outlined by the Mt. Soledad Natural Park, La Jolla Scenic Drive South, La Jolla Mesa Drive, Colima Street and Highway 5. The Mt. Soledad Memorial Cross and the entire park remain in District One. The new map takes effect January 1, and voters in that area will actually vote for the candidates running for election in District Two in the next election.

I am frustrated that the Redistricting Commission decided to split La Jolla despite unanimous testimony to keep all planning area communities united within Districts. I am also frustrated that the appointed commission had no representatives from our area. I can only assure you that I will always be conscious that La Jolla is one community and I will do my utmost to represent La Jolla with that in mind. I know that we are one La Jolla, regardless of the side of the street on which we live. I hope you will continue to call on me, and, for those residents who have been moved, I pledge to work closely with your new council representative to ensure you receive the quality of care and representation you deserve.