- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Community college districts work on redistricting trustee area boundaries
Mendocino-Lake Community College District and Yuba Community College District each have seven trustee areas, which must now be adjusted in accordance with the recently released demographic results from the 2020 U.S. Census.
Similarly, the California Citizens Redistricting Commission is leading the work of redrawing congressional, State Senate, State Assembly and State Board of Equalization district lines, and the Board of Supervisors is working to adjust boundaries for its five districts.
California Community College District governing boards are subject to the federal Voting Rights Act and the one person, one vote principle of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, Mendocino-Lake Community College District officials reported.
“The Voting Rights Act prohibits electoral systems that deny or abridge the voting rights of protected racial and language minority groups,” the district reported.
As a result, the district said governing board member districts must be as equal in population as possible and that election systems that are at-large meet the one person, one vote test.
For both districts, their trustees must live in their particular districts.
The Mendocino-Lake Community College District’s coverage area of Lake and Mendocino counties has a population of 100,000 divided into seven areas, with each trustee area needing to equal 14,300 people.
The Yuba Community College District spans eight counties — Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Placer, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba — and has a reported population in its coverage area of 313,828 people, based on latest census data, the district said. That puts their ideal trustee area size at 44,833 residents.
The law requires getting to within 10% of the ideal numbers.
Community members are urged to offer input on how the redistricting process should take place.
For the Mendocino-Lake Community College District, public input can be shared at the following scheduled meetings:
· 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 25: North County Center, Willits, Room 8000.
· 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28: Lake County Center, Lakeport, Room 7050.
· 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 2: Mendocino College, Ukiah, Room 1060.
· 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3: Coast Center, Fort Bragg, The Commons.
Members of the public may mail feedback to Mendocino College, Office of the President, 1000 Hensley Creek Road, Ukiah, CA 95482.
Yuba Community College District held an update on its process timeline at its Oct. 14 meeting.
A consultant, Cooperative Strategies, will be preparing proposed maps through Nov. 9. Draft maps will be posted on the district’s website on Nov. 1.
Once those maps are published, Kathryn Wilkins, executive assistant to the chancellor and board of trustees, said the district will provide information to the local media with the URL members of the public should use to access and review those maps before the regular board meeting.
The board will then review draft maps at its Nov. 10 regular meeting. Wilkins said a public hearing will also be agendized at that meeting to provide for public input and comments on the redistricting process and draft maps as required.
She said the meeting and public hearing will be virtual, and the agenda and Zoom link to attend the meeting will be provided to the public 72 hours before the meeting.
Cooperative Strategies will revise the maps based on public and board input from Nov. 11 to Dec. 15.
The district board will review updates on Dec. 16, and the consultant will continue to make revisions from Dec. 17 to Jan. 12.
The board of trustees is tentatively scheduled to adopt the final trustee areas on Jan. 13, with Cooperative Strategies to send the final trustee area map and descriptions to the registrars of voters offices across the eight county service area in January 2022.
For more information about the background of California Community College redistricting, criteria, key dates, and meeting information, visit https://www.mendocino.edu/redistricting.
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