Res 151-2021 Order for Redistricting 12/07/2021 Resolution No. 151-2021
Resolution initiating the process of Redistricting City Council
Districts, establishing Criteria for Redistricting, and appointing an
Advisory Committee to provide advice and input to the Redistricting
process
WHEREAS, the Wichita Falls City Council has previously retained the firm of
Allison, Bass & Magee, LLP, of Austin, Texas, to conduct an Initial Assessment of existing
political boundaries of the City of Wichita Falls, following the issuance of census data by
the United States Census Bureau;
WHEREAS, the Initial Assessment was based upon PL94-171 data, as required
by federal law, and is further based upon information provided to Allison, Bass &
Associates, LLP by the Texas Legislative Council, other official sources of information,
and by the City of Wichita Falls, Texas;
WHEREAS, based upon this information, the City of Wichita Falls has a total
maximum deviation of 13.23%;
WHEREAS, the "total maximum deviation" is determined by dividing the total
population of the City of Wichita Falls by five, the number of city districts to determine an
ideal district size. The actual population of each district was then determined, based upon
the official population data contained within the census count, as defined by Public Law
94-171;
WHEREAS, the actual population of each district was compared to the ideal district
size and a range of deviation by percentage was determined;
WHEREAS, a total maximum deviation in excess of 10% is presumptively
unconstitutional under established federal law; therefore, the City of Wichita Falls, Texas,
has a constitutional duty to redistrict its political boundaries to achieve "One-Person-One-
Vote" numerical balance between the Council districts at a legally acceptable margin of
deviation, and to make such changes as are necessary to comply with the Voting Rights
Act and applicable state and federal law; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds the public interest will be served by redrawing
the existing political boundaries of the City of Wichita Falls in such a manner as to comply
with applicable state and federal law.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS, THAT:
1. The City will undertake such necessary and appropriate action to accomplish
redistricting of existing city districts.
2. The City Council will convene in open meetings, duly posted in accordance with
the Texas Open Meetings Act, to take up and consider one or more alternative plans for
the legal redistricting of the City of Wichita Falls.
3. After due consideration of one or more alternative plans, the City of Wichita Falls
will adopt a plan deemed to satisfy legal requirements, and which best suits the legitimate
governmental needs of the City of Wichita Falls.
4. The plan should, to the maximum extent possible, conform to the following
criteria:
a. The plan should ensure that all applicable provisions of the U.S. and Texas
Constitutions, the Voting Rights Act, and the Texas Election Code are
honored.
b. The plan should be drawn in such a manner that the maximum deviation from
an ideal size, as determined by dividing the total population of the city by the
number of single member districts that compose the City Council of the City
of Wichita Falls be not more than plus or minus five (5%) percent for any
individual single member district, or a total top to bottom deviation
(percentage of deviation below and above the ideal size) between the most
populated district and the least populated district by not more than a
maximum deviation of no more than ten (10%) percent.
c. The plan should address minority representation, and if at all possible, in
conformity with constitutional standards, avoid retrogression in the
percentage of population and voting age demographics consistent with
existing minority representation.
d. The plan should, avoid fragmentation and preserve minority communities of
interest to the maximum extent possible. These communities of interest
should be recognized and retained intact where possible. Only when the
overall minority population of the county is sufficiently large to require more
than one minority district should minority populations be divided, and only
then to the least degree possible.
e. The plan should not, however, attempt to unreasonably join geographically
remote minority populations into a single precinct unless there are strong and
genuine connections between these communities as reflected by common
schools, churches, or cultural ties. For example, minority populations in two
separate neighborhoods, located miles apart, may not have sufficient links or
common political cohesion to justify joining these two minority population
centers into a single electoral group. Particularly, when dealing with distinct
minority groups, such as Black and Hispanic populations, a general
assumption that separate minority populations will vote in a "block" may be
unsupportable in fact.
f. The plan should seek compact and contiguous political boundaries. Physical
boundaries of cultural or economic significance, such as rivers, multi-lane
control access highways or turnpikes, which tend to divide populations in
fundamental ways, should be recognized and where possible, should only
serve as necessary to achieve recognized objectives. Communities of
interest should be retained intact where possible. To the maximum extent
possible, clearly recognized boundaries, such as streets and highways,
should be used to facilitate ease of voter identification of boundaries, as well
as election administration.
g. Where possible, well-recognized and long used election precinct boundaries
should be retained intact (within the limitations imposed by state and federal
law) or with as little alteration as possible.
h. Election precincts in the plan should be sized in conformity with state law. For
example, in counties that use traditional, hand counted paper ballots, no
election precinct may contain more than 2000 voters. In jurisdictions with
voting systems that allow for automated ballot counting, this number may be
increased to as many as 5000 registered voters.
i. The plan should afford incumbent office holders with the assurance that they
will continue to represent the majority of individuals who elected these
incumbents, and all incumbents' residential locations should be retained in
their reformed precincts to ensure continuity in leadership during the
remaining term of incumbents to the extent possible.
j. The plan should address fundamental and necessary governmental
functions, and to the extent possible, ensure that these functions are
enhanced rather than impaired. Election administration should not be unduly
complex as a result of election boundaries.
k. The plan should attempt to locate polling places in convenient, well-known
locations that are accessible to disabled voters to the maximum extent
possible. Public buildings should be utilized to the maximum extent possible
as polling places. Where necessary, buildings routinely open to the public,
such as churches, retail businesses, or private buildings dedicated to public
activities, can be used as polling places.
I. If the reduction of polling places can be accomplished, without impinging
upon voter convenience and minority voting rights, such reductions can be
considered.
m. Citizen input should be encouraged, but in order to minimize cost and to have
sufficient information to evaluate such proposals fairly, the City will only
consider proposed plans submitted to the City for evaluation by individual
citizens or groups if the proposed plan is submitted to the City in a commonly
used GIS format, such as .SHP, .MAP, .KLM, .GPX, .MDB, along with maps
and demographic data sufficient to address voting rights concerns.
5. The following people are appointed to the Advisory Committee for Redistricting:
Stephen Santellana, Mayor, Bobby Whiteley, Councilor At-Large, Paul Menzies,
Assistant City Manager, and Marie Balthrop, City Clerk.
PASSED AND APPROVED this the 7th day of December 2021
( �" ��`--
MAYOR
ATTEST:
City Clerk