Thu. Nov 21st, 2024

City of Santa Ana

Community: NOTICE TO RESIDENTS: SCHEDULE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS TO CONSIDER WARD RE-BOUNDARY

The Santa Ana City Council will hold a series of Public Hearings to consider modifying the Ward boundaries to comply with both the Federal and California law, including the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA).

The Ward boundaries were last modified in January of 2012. Since then, the City received correspondence asserting that the City’s current at-large electoral system, whereby council members are elected by all of the city electors, violates the CVRA because it allegedly does not allow Asians (a protected class) to elect candidates of their choice or otherwise influence the outcome of Santa Ana’s council elections. Following receipt of this correspondence, the City Council decided to place a charter amendment on the November 6, 2018 General Municipal Election so that the electors of the City can decide whether to change the method of electing council members to a by-ward system where each council member is required to reside in the ward he or she represents and is elected solely by the electors of that ward. The City Council also decided to consider changing the Ward boundaries to ensure that they are consistent with Federal and State law, including the CVRA. This re-boundary process will consist of a number of public hearings to allow interested persons to give input on ward boundaries.

Schedule of Public Hearings

The City Charter requires that Ward boundaries be of equal population and that the City Council hold one (1) public hearing to consider modifying those boundaries; the Elections Code requires four (4) public hearings to establish ward boundaries for by-ward elections; thus, the City will conduct a total of five (5) public hearings over the next several weeks. The first two hearings are critical in that they will explain the re-boundary process, review the criteria used to modify Ward boundaries, and allow residents to submit their ideas for potential boundary lines. These two hearings will culminate in the development of proposed new Ward map(s). The remainder of the hearings will be to consider the proposed map(s), select the preferred map, and adopt the final new Ward map. The Public Hearing schedule is as follows:

Two (2) Public Hearings to review the Ward re-boundary process, hear from residents about their ideas for potential ward boundaries, and to receive City Council direction on the criteria to be considered for mapping of new Ward boundaries.

• Tuesday, May 1st at 5:45 p.m. – Regular City Council Meeting, Regular City Council Meeting, Council Chambers, 22 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA

• Thursday, May 3rd at 5:00 p.m. – Adjourned Regular City Council Meeting, Council Chambers, 22 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA

Two (2) Public Hearings to seek resident input on the content of the draft Ward map(s) and sequence of elections, select a preferred Ward map, and to introduce an ordinance for adoption.

• Tuesday, May 15th at 5:45 p.m. – Regular City Council Meeting, Council Chambers, 22 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA

• Saturday, May 19th at 11:30 a.m.- Adjourned Regular City Council Meeting, Southwest Senior Center, 2201 W. McFadden Ave, Santa Ana, CA

One (1) Public Hearing to adopt second reading of ordinance setting the new boundaries for Wards. If approved, the new boundary lines may impact candidates running for office in the November 6, 2018 General Municipal Election—they will be required to reside within the new Ward boundaries for a minimum of 30 days prior to pulling papers for office.

• Tuesday, June 5th at 5:45 p.m. – Regular City Council Meeting, Council Chambers, 22 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA

For transparency and to encourage community participation, the City is providing information about the Ward re-boundary process on the City’s website at http://www.ci.santa-ana.ca.us/coc/elections.asp

Please feel free to contact the Clerk of the Council Office at (714) 647-6520 if you have any questions about this process.

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AVISO A LOS RESIDENTES:
PROGRAMA DE AUDIENCIAS PÚBLICAS PARA
CONSIDERAR CAMBIO DE LINDEROS DE SECTORES

El Concejo Municipal de Santa Ana tendrá una serie de Audiencias Públicas para considerar modificar los linderos (límites) de los Sectores para cumplir con la ley Federal y de California, que incluye la Ley de Derechos Electorales de California (CVRA, por sus siglas en inglés).

La última vez que fueron modificados los linderos de Sectores fue en enero del 2012. Desde entonces, la Ciudad recibió correspondencia que afirmaba que el sistema electoral general actual de la Ciudad, en el cual los concejales son elegidos por todos los electores de la ciudad, infringe la CVRA porque supuestamente no permite a los asiáticos (una clase protegida) elegir candidatos de su elección o influenciar el resultado de las elecciones municipales de Santa Ana. Luego de recibir esta correspondencia, el Concejo Municipal decidió colocar una enmienda a los estatutos en la Elección Municipal General del 6 de noviembre del 2018 para que los electores de la Ciudad puedan decidir si desean cambiar el método para elegir concejales a un sistema por sector, donde cada concejal tiene que residir en el sector que representa y es elegido/a solamente por los electores de ese sector. El Concejo Municipal también decidió considerar cambiar los linderos de los Sectores para que sean consistentes con la ley Federal y Estatal, incluyendo CVRA. Este proceso de cambio de linderos consistirá en varias audiencias públicas para que personas interesadas puedan opinar sobre los linderos.

Programa de Audiencias Públicas

Los Estatutos Municipales requieren que los linderos de los Sectores sean de una población por igual y que el Concejo Municipal tenga una (1) audiencia pública para considerar modificar dichos linderos; El Código Electoral requiere cuatro (4) audiencias públicas para establecer linderos de sectores para elecciones por sector; así, la Ciudad realizará un total de cinco (5) audiencias públicas en las próximas semanas. Las primeras dos audiencias son cruciales, pues explicarán el proceso de cambio de linderos, repasarán los criterios para modificar linderos de Sector y permitirán a los residentes presentar sus ideas para líneas de linderos potenciales. Estas dos audiencias culminarán en la creación de mapa/s de Sectores propuesto/s. El resto de las audiencias serán para considerar los mapas propuestos, seleccionar el mapa preferido y adoptar el mapa de Sectores final. El programa de Audiencias Públicas es el siguiente:

Dos (2) Audiencias Públicas para repasar el proceso de cambio de linderos, escuchar de los residentes acerca de sus ideas para linderos de sector potenciales y recibir dirección del Concejo Municipal sobre los criterios a considerar para crear mapas para nuevos linderos de Sectores.
• Martes, 1o de mayo a las 5:45 PM – Sesión Ordinaria del Concejo Municipal, Cámara del Ayuntamiento, 22 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA
• Jueves, 3 de mayo a las 5:00 PM – Sesión Ordinaria Aplazada del Concejo Municipal, Cámara del Ayuntamiento, 22 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA

Dos (2) Audiencias Públicas para solicitar opiniones de los residentes sobre borradores de mapa/s de Sectores y secuencia de elecciones, escoger un mapa preferido y presentar ordenanza para adopción.
• Martes, 15 de mayo a las 5:45 PM – Sesión Ordinaria del Concejo Municipal, Cámara del Ayuntamiento, 22 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA
• Sábado, 19 de mayo a las 11:30 AM – Sesión Ordinaria Aplazada del Concejo Municipal, Southwest Senior Center, 2201 W. McFadden Ave, Santa Ana, CA

Una (1) Audiencia Pública para adoptar la segunda lectura de la ordenanza para establecer los nuevos linderos de Sectores. Si se aprueba, los nuevos linderos pueden afectar a candidatos que se postulen para la Elección Municipal General del 6 de noviembre del 2018 —tendrán que residir dentro de los nuevos linderos de Sectores cuando menos 30 días antes de solicitar documentos para postularse.
• Martes, 5 de junio a las 5:45 PM – Sesión Ordinaria del Concejo Municipal, Cámara del Ayuntamiento, 22 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA

Para la transparencia y con el fin de fomentar participación comunitaria, la Ciudad brinda información acerca del proceso de cambio de linderos de los Sectores en el sitio web de la Ciudad en http://www.ci.santa-ana.ca.us/coc/elections.asp

Tenga la bondad de comunicarse con la Secretaria Municipal al (714) 647-6520 si tiene alguna pregunta acerca de este proceso.

author avatar
Art Pedroza Editor
Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

By Art Pedroza

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

One thought on “The Santa Ana City Council will hold public hearings regarding their plan to change our ward maps”
  1. These buffoons aren’t about serving the residents of Santa Ana. They’re all about trying to extend their term limits and get corrupt morons like Roman Reyna in to screw up the city even more. So let me ask this to the city council, if I only get to vote in my ward for a city council person, why is it that city council members from other wards get to decide on how to spend the money city-wide. Folks don’t be fooled. This isn’t about the asian community or latino community. It’s about getting themselves re-elected to screw up the city even more. So long Tinajero, Benavides, and Martinez. You think every one in Santa Ana is stupid….they’re catching on to your corruption!

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