Public notice of County of Orange Redistricting Committee meeting on April 1

PUBLIC NOTICE OF COUNTY OF ORANGE REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE MEETINGS

THE NEXT MEETING OF THE REDISTRICTNG COMMITTEE WILL BE FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2011 AT 2 P.M. IN BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HEARING ROOM

The County of Orange Board of Supervisors is required to adjust the boundaries of Supervisorial Districts following the decennial federal census, using that census as a basis, pursuant to California Elections Code Section 21500. The County has established a Redistricting Committee to consider public input on proposed changes to the boundaries of Supervisorial Districts and to make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors.

The next public meeting of the Redistricting Committee will be Friday, April 1, 2011 at 2 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room. The Redistricting Committee will have meetings on the second Thursday of each month at 2 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room, 333 W. Santa Ana Blvd., 10 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, through July 14, 2011, if necessary. Additional meetings through May, June or, if necessary, July, 2011, will be established by the Redistricting Committee.

If you would like further information on the Redistricting Committee, please contact the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, attn: Jamie Ross, 333 W. Santa Ana Blvd., 10 Civic Center Plaza, Room 465, Santa Ana, CA 92701, 714-834-2206, or email jamie.ross@ocgov.com. Notice of future Redistricting Committee meetings will only be provided to those who have requested such notice from the Clerk of the Board. Meeting agendas and other materials are available at the Redistricting Committee website at: http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Government/Redistricting.

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What is Redistricting?

Redistricting is the process of drawing new boundary lines for public offices that are elected by district, such as the Board of Supervisors. One of the goals of redistricting is that the districts be “nearly equal in population.” Information gathered through the 2010 U.S. Census is essential to the redistricting process.

What Law Governs Redistricting?

The basic state legal requirements for the redistricting of Supervisorial districts are found in the California Election Code, Section 21500-21506. California Election Code Section 21500 reads:

“Following each decennial federal census, and using that census as a basis, the board shall adjust the boundaries of any or all of the supervisorial districts of the county so that the districts shall be as nearly equal in population as may be and shall comply with the applicable provisions of Section 1973 of Title 42 of the United States Code, as amended. In establishing the boundaries of the districts the board may give consideration to the following factors: (a) topography, (b) geography, (c) cohesiveness, contiguity, integrity, and compactness of territory, and (d) community of interests of the districts.”

Other laws may also apply to redistricting.

The Process

The County of Orange Board of Supervisors has appointed a five person committee to guide the redistricting process and bring back to the Board a recommended Decennial Redistricting Plan for consideration and possible adoption.

Members of the Committee are:

District Committee                                                                       Member                       Alternate

District 1 – Office of Supervisor Janet Nguyen                        Matt Harper               Christie Delp
District 2 – Office of Supervisor John M. W. Moorlach              Rick Francis (Vice-Chair) Kathy Moran
District 3 – Office of Supervisor Bill Campbell                         Whitney Secor            Lou Bronstein
District 4 – Office of Supervisor Shawn Nelson                        Denis Bilodeau            David Zenger
District 5 – Office of Supervisor Patricia Bates                         Don Hughes (Chairman) Ray Grangoff

The Committee’s Regular Meetings will be held on the second Thursday of each month at 2 p.m. in the Board Hearing Room of the County Hall of Administration. Additional meetings may be called as necessary to complete the work of the Committee. Meetings of the Committee will be subject to the Brown Act and agendas will be posted prior to the meetings. The Committee has adopted a Public Participation Plan to inform the public concerning the work of the Committee and to encourage public participation.