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Council Redistricting
On Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021, the Denton City Council approved the redistricting of the City’s single-member Council districts. The new district boundaries are based on 2020 census data and will impact Denton City Council elections only. An estimated 26,368 total persons, or 18,724 registered voters, are now are included in a new voting district and have new representation on the City Council.
Every 10 years, following the results of the US Census, the City of Denton has the opportunity to review its City Council districts to determine if population changes would require district lines to be redrawn. In October 2021, the City Council directed staff to move forward with redistricting, and a Public Input Period began on Oct. 27 and ended Dec. 7.
During this time, the public was able to provide comment and submit full redistricting proposals on the City’s website, with a public hearing during the Dec. 7, 2021 City Council meeting. Citizens were also available to provide comment at the Dec. 14, 2021 City Council meeting.
View the new district map.
Questions on the new district boundaries can be emailed to [email protected].
Oct. 26, 2021
Adoption of Redistricting Criteria and Submittal Guidelines
Oct. 28, 2021
Opening of Public Input Form
Nov. 16, 2021
Drawing Session with City Council
Dec. 6, 2021
Drawing Session with City Council
Dec. 7, 2021
Public Hearing Followed by the Close of Public Input Form
Dec. 14, 2021
Public Comment and Final Adoption of Council Districts
- Easily identifiable geographic boundaries should be followed.
- Communities of interest should be maintained in a single district, where possible, and attempts should be made to avoid splitting neighborhoods.
- Districts should be composed of whole voting precincts. Where this is not possible or practicable, districts should be drawn considering county election precincts. Avoid splitting census blocks unless necessary.
- Although it is recognized that existing districts may be altered to reflect population distribution, any redistricting plan should, to the extent possible, be based on existing districts.
- Districts must be configured so that they are relatively equal in total population according to the 2020 federal census. In no event should the total population deviation between the largest and the smallest district exceed ten percent as compared to the ideal district size.
- Districts should be compact and composed of contiguous territory. Compactness may contain a functional, as well as a geographical, dimension.
- Consideration may be given to the preservation of incumbent-constituency relations by recognition of the residence of incumbents and their history in representing certain areas.
- The plan should be narrowly tailored to avoid racial gerrymandering in violation of Shaw v. Reno.
- The plan should not fragment a geographically compact minority community or pack minority voters in the presence.
- Proposed plans must be submitted in writing and be legible. If a plan is submitted verbally, there is significant opportunity for misunderstanding, and it is possible that errors may be made in analyzing it. The City Council wants to be sure that all proposals are fully and accurately considered.
- Any plan must show the total population and voting age population for African- Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and Anglo/other for each proposed Councilmember District based on the 2020 Census Data. If a plan is submitted without a population breakdown, the Council may not have sufficient information to give it full consideration.
- Plans should redistrict the entire City of Denton so the Council may consider the effect of any plan on the entire City. All plans are subject to the Voting Rights Act, which protects various racial and language minorities. Thus, as a matter of federal law, the Council will be required to consider the effect of any proposal on multiple racial and ethnic groups. If a plan does not redistrict the entire city, it may be impossible for the Council to assess its impact on one or more protected minority groups.
- Plans should conform to the criteria the City Council will be using in drawing the Councilmember Districts.
- Comments must be submitted in writing and be legible, even if the person also makes the comments verbally at a public hearing.
- Persons providing comments and those submitting proposed plans must identify themselves by full name and home address and provide a phone number and, if available, an email address. The City Council may wish to follow up on such comments or obtain additional information about submitted plans.
- All comments and proposed plans must be submitted to the City Council by the close of the public hearing.