In June 2016, following an extensive public participation process, the King City Council adopted a by-district system of electing council members in King City. At that time, the City had received requests from community groups, as well as threats of litigation from outside organizations.
There were a number of purposes of implementing a district election process. Most significant is that it helped to unite and build trust in the community by making those who felt underrepresented in the past to feel the system would be more fair and accessible in the future.
In addition, taking City Council action to establish district elections rather than the potential of a ballot initiative or court action maintained more flexibility for the City in case the new system was unsuccessful or no longer deemed necessary in the future.
Since the 2020 census data is now available, the City is required to review and update its districts to ensure they continue to comply with State requirements. Each of the five districts will need to contain about 2,666 people with a maximum difference of 10%, or 267 people, between the least and most populated districts.
The process will include defining neighborhoods and communities of interest to ensure they are not divided between districts. The City will also want to consider future growth since it is primarily projected in two areas.
The City has hired a professional demographics consultant firm to coordinate the process. Four public hearings will be held for the community to participate in establishing the district boundaries.
The first was held on Sept. 28. The next will be a special public workshop on Saturday, Oct. 16, at 11 a.m. in the City Council Chambers at 212 S. Vanderhurst Ave. The final two public hearings will be held at regular Council meetings at 6 p.m. on Nov. 23 and Feb. 8.
Everyone is encouraged to participate in the next workshop, which can be done either in person or virtually via Zoom at http://bit.ly/3ogsZlR. The consultant will present the first round of draft maps and district boundaries for consideration and discussion.
This process will establish the foundation for how King City elects its City Council representatives for the next 10-year period, so it is very important for the City to obtain input and involvement by the community to make the electoral system as fair and representative as possible.
Information about the process and access to preview draft interactive maps to see how your address is impacted can be found on the City’s website at www.kingcity.com. You may also contact City Hall at 831-385-3281 if you have any questions.
