Richmond City Council / News Release
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sharing, forwarding, and posting
26 January 2022
Reminder:
Successful start and upcoming meetings for Richmond City Council -
Richmond Decennial Voter District Redistricting
Process
includes three information sessions, three map drawing sessions, extensive
comment periods, and public hearings
Richmond,
Virginia – Richmond City Council held two successful initial public Richmond
Decennial Voter District Redistricting Public Information and Engagement
Meetings, on January
20, 2022 and on January
21, 2022, that included open
dialogue, interaction, and engagement regarding the Redistricting process. The
next Council
Redistricting Information and Engagement Meeting is Thursday,
January 27, 2022; 5:00-6:30 p.m.
The
Richmond redistricting process includes three information sessions, three map
drawing sessions, extensive comment periods, and public hearings; and is considered
one of the most transparent, extensive, and public local government
Redistricting efforts.
Richmond
residents are solicited, invited, and encouraged to participate and be involved
in the 2021/2022 Richmond
Decennial Voter District Redistricting process and to share their comments, thoughts, and/or ideas regarding proposed plan or plans to be considered. The Richmond
Voter Districts are to be reapportioned in 2022.
Upcoming Richmond City Council - Richmond
Decennial Voter District Redistricting process, anticipated meetings for public
involvement, awareness, and input include the following:
· Monday, January
24, 2022; 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Richmond
City Council Formal Meeting
Introduction of
amendments to Council Res. No. 2021-R084 (revised redistricting schedule) https://richmondva.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=902217&GUID=BC40D9C4-E2B5-47B6-9ADB-DCF919E7CBC1&Options=info|&Search=
· Thursday,
January 27, 2022; 5:00-6:30 p.m.
Council
Redistricting Information and Engagement Meeting
Join on your computer or mobile app
Click here to join the meeting
Or call in (audio only) +1 804-316-9457,,64248149# United States, Richmond
Phone
Conference ID: 642 481 49#
· Wednesday,
February 9, 2022; 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Public
drawing of Richmond Voter District Map Options
Join on your computer or mobile app
Click here to join the meeting
Or call in (audio only) +1 804-316-9457,,64248149# United States, Richmond
Phone
Conference ID: 642 481 49#
· Thursday, February
10, 2022; 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Public
drawing of Richmond Voter District Map Options
Join on your computer or mobile app
Click here to join the meeting
Or call in (audio only) +1 804-316-9457,,64248149# United States, Richmond
Phone
Conference ID: 642 481 49#
· Friday, February
11, 2022; Noon-2:00 p.m.
Public
drawing of Richmond Voter District Map Options
Join on your computer or mobile app
Click here to join the meeting
Or call in (audio only) +1 804-316-9457,,64248149# United States, Richmond
Phone
Conference ID: 642 481 49#
· Monday, February
14, 2022; 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Richmond
City Council Formal Meeting
Anticipated
adoption of amendments to Council Res. No. 2021-R084 (revised redistricting
schedule)
· Monday, February
28, 2022; 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Richmond
City Council Formal Meeting
Anticipated
introduction of draft Redistricting plan or plans for public comment https://richmondva.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=859300&GUID=8160C8AA-3AE6-4C01-B51D-F3BD6DC3C5C7&Options=info|&Search=
· Tuesday, March 1,
2022; 6:00-8:00 p.m.
30 Day Public
Comment Period on draft Redistricting plan or plans begins
· Monday, April 11,
2022; 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Richmond
City Council Formal Meeting
Public hearing on
proposed plan or plans (public comment continues)
· Monday, April 25,
2022; 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Richmond
City Council Formal Meeting
Final day for public
comment (56 days of public comment)
Final public
hearing and adoption of final redistricting plan
Publish notice of
final redistricting plan
· Thursday, May 26,
2022
Adopted
Redistricting plan takes effect
Meetings are subject to
updates.
Previous
additional Council Redistricting Information/Engagement Meetings:
· Thursday,
January 20, 2022; 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Council
Redistricting Information and Engagement Meeting
· Friday,
January 21, 2022; Noon-2:00 p.m.
Council
Redistricting Information and Engagement Meeting
Richmonders
interested in the process
Richmonders interested in the process are encouraged, invited, and requested to please take the
opportunity to contact the
Richmond City Council member that represents them (https://www.rva.gov/richmond-city-council/council-contacts) for more information and/or to share
their thoughts and ideas regarding redistricting.
Find Your Richmond Voter District
Richmond residents not sure who their individual Councilmember is, can use
the following helpful portal, if needed, to assist in identifying their
individual Richmond Voter District:
· Richmond Real Estate Property Search
Database https://apps.richmondgov.com/applications/propertysearch/Search.aspx
(note: once you’ve entered your address, use
the Govt. tab to identify your Voter Districts)
Richmond City Council Redistricting information webpage
portal
Richmond residents interested in the redistricting process are
also invited and encouraged to visit and check back on the Richmond
City Council Redistricting information webpage portal (https://www.rva.gov/richmond-city-council/redistricting)
for updated information during the 2021/2022 Richmond Decennial Voter District Redistricting process.
Additional
information will be posted on the Council redistricting information portal as
it becomes available.
About
Redistricting
Every 10 years (Decennially), following
the release of the decennial census by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, voter
districts across the nation are updated (reapportioned and redistricted) to
reflect population shifts and changes during that time in order to provide equality
of representation on behalf of voting residents when participating in general,
primary, and/or special governmental elections.
How Richmond Voter Districts are used
To operate
our local government services, our city is divided into nine
geographic/demographic Richmond Voter Districts. We, as Richmond residents, use
these to elect individual local members of Richmond City Council, Richmond
Public Schools Board of Trustees, and a Mayor (who must earn the most votes in
five of the nine Richmond Voter Districts).
Richmond Redistricting
State law
requires Richmond City Council to reapportion/redistrict the local Richmond
Voter Districts boundaries every 10 years based on U.S. Census data. This is
known as the Richmond Decennial Voter District Redistricting process. The
updated Richmond Voter Districts are to be established in 2022.
Public input is actively solicited,
requested, encouraged, and invited
Richmond City
Council also solicits, encourages, invites, and requests interested Richmond
residents, in accordance with Virginia law, to offer, submit, suggest, and
share public comments, including (but not limited to) data, questions,
alternate plans, suggestions, etc., via the following helpful ways:
a.
Mail: Richmond City Council/Richmond Decennial Voter District
Redistricting
Richmond City Hall; 900 E.
Broad Street, Suite 305; Richmond, Virginia 23219
b.
Fax: 804.646.5468
c.
Email at: Contact Richmond Decennial Voter District Redistricting information portal via email, at redistricting@rva.gov.
Richmond Analysis of the 2020 U.S. Census Data
Total 2020
Population: 226,610
According to
the U.S.
Bureau of the Census - 2020 U.S. Census numbers
released in late 2020, Richmond’s population increased 11 percent over the past 10
years and now sits at 226,610. This increase is significant
and represents the largest in the last 40 years. With nine local Richmond Voter
Districts, this means that “ideal” Districts would have about 25,179 persons living in them to make
them evenly distributed. Deviations around 5% percent are generally acceptable.
Three Richmond Voter Districts with substantial changes
According to
the 2020 U.S. Census, Richmond has three voter districts whose numbers are
outside a five percent deviation of what represents an “ideal” number of about
25,179 persons living in them (which is the total population divided by nine
Richmond Voter Districts). These include the Richmond North Central 2nd Voter
District (+2,019 more residents) with a deviation of 8.02%; the Richmond
Northside 3rd Voter District (-2,943 less residents) with a deviation of
-11.69%; and, the Gateway 6th Voter District (1,752 more residents) with a
deviation of 6.96%.
Richmond
City Council continues to be committed to ensuring the 2021/2022 Richmond
Decennial Voter District Redistricting process and plan are clearly defined,
transparent, inclusive, and equitable and are driven by and responsive to
providing opportunity for public engagement, involvement, inclusion,
discussion, awareness, feedback, deliberation, comment, and input on behalf of
Richmond residents.
- e n d –
Richmond City Council - Richmond City
Hall - 900 East Broad Street, Suite 305 - Richmond, Virginia 23219 U.S.A. - 804.646.2778 (tel) -
804.646.5468 (fax) - www.richmondgov.com/citycouncil
