SAN DIEGO - The City of San Diego Year 2000 Redistricting Commission adopted a Final Redistricting Plan for City Council boundaries on a 5-1 vote at its meeting yesterday. The seven-member Commission had been making changes to the preliminary plan it adopted on June 29 since hearing from the public at eight community meetings in July.

In developing the new Council district boundaries, the Commission has focused on uniting communities of interest, according to Commission Director Staajabu Heshimu. Highlights of the new plan include:

• Moving Egger Highlands from District 2 to District 8 which will now represent all of San Diego’s South Bay communities;
• Moving the eastern half of Pacific Beach from District 6 to District 2 so that all of Pacific Beach residents will be represented by District 2;
• Moving the parts of Linda Vista, Clairemont Mesa, and Kearny Mesa from District 5 to District 6, uniting each of these communities in one district; and
• Moving the northern parts of Hillcrest and University Heights from District 2 to District 3, uniting these communities in one council district; and
• Moving the eastern part of Talmadge from District 7 to District 3, uniting that community in one district.

Other boundary changes made to equalize the population each district include:

• Moving the southeastern section of La Jolla in the area of Mt. Soledad from District 1 to District 2;
• Moving Cortez Hill and Park West from District 3 to District 2;
• Moving the western side of the Miramar military base from District 5 to District 7;
• Moving the eastern half of Mission Bay from District 2 to District 6.

The City Charter requires that the boundaries of the eight Council districts be redrawn every 10 years to equalize population in the districts after the latest census. The City added more than 112,000 people during the 1990s, according to the 2000 U.S. Census, which is the basis of all redistricting. In order to equalize the population in each district at approximately 153,000 residents, some districts had to lose geographic territory while others gained. In the final plan, District 5 remains the largest with 159,524 people and District 7 is the smallest with 146,853. The Redistricting Commission has the sole and exclusive authority to change the Council district boundaries.

The new boundaries will be in effect within 30 days unless there is a public referendum, which requires the petition signatures of at least 5 percent of San Diego voters. According to Heshimu, 31,631 valid signatures must be delivered to the City Clerk’s Office by 5 p.m. on Sept. 21 in order to initiate a successful referendum.

For more information, call the Commission at (619) 533-3401. Information is also available on the City’s web site (www.sandiego.gov) by clicking on "City Hall" and finding Redistricting Commission under "Agencies and Commissions."