Richmond
City Council /
News Release
For
sharing, forwarding, and posting
14 December 2021
Richmond City Council Richmond Decennial Voter District
Redistricting process update
Richmond,
Virginia – As anticipated and previously
shared, Richmond City Council, during its public Richmond City Council Formal Meeting,
held on Monday, December 13, 2021 (https://richmondva.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=845590&GUID=B1C4ECF5-6B18-412F-8D48-7850CAE5C726&Options=info|&Search=), introduced Richmond
City Council Resolution # 2021-R084, a proposed resolution for establishing criteria
and proposing a timeline to assist in guiding its public 2021/2022 Richmond Decennial Voter
District Redistricting process for reapportioning and redistricting the nine
local Richmond Voter Districts.
The
proposed resolution is proceeding through the public Council legislative
process and will be heard during the scheduled public Richmond
City Council Governmental Operations Standing Committee Meeting, being held
on December 15, 2021 (https://richmondva.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=812902&GUID=A7FC7E90-6AA5-4C3D-A16E-483722900699&Options=info|&Search=).
The
scheduled public Richmond
City Council Governmental Operations Standing Committee Meeting will
include public input, discussion, awareness, engagement, feedback, deliberations,
comment, opportunity, inclusion, equity, and a public hearing on the proposed
resolution.
Richmond residents are encouraged and invited to participate,
listen, and/or share comments, thoughts, and/or ideas during the Richmond
City Council Governmental Operations Standing Committee Meeting - regarding Richmond
City Council Resolution # 2021-R084, a proposed resolution for establishing criteria and
proposing a timeline to
assist in guiding its public Richmond Decennial Voter District Redistricting
process for reapportioning and redistricting the nine local Richmond Voter
Districts.
The public input, discussion, awareness, engagement,
feedback, deliberations, comment, opportunity, and public hearing on the proposed
resolution during the Richmond
City Council Governmental Operations Standing Committee Meeting will help inform the Committee regarding recommendations it
will provide regarding the proposed resolution for a subsequent Richmond
City Council Special Meeting (https://richmondva.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=915927&GUID=5DF95F00-A1BA-44BA-8717-F33EB926B59D&Search=)
that will be held that will include additional public input, discussion, awareness, engagement,
feedback, deliberations, comment, inclusion, equity, and a public hearing on
the proposed resolution.
The Richmond
City Council Special Meeting for public consideration and adoption of Richmond
City Council Resolution # 2021-R084 is scheduled to be held on Tuesday,
December 21, 2021. Richmond residents are encouraged and invited
to participate, listen, and/or share comments, thoughts, and/or ideas during
the meeting that will include additional public input, discussion, awareness, engagement, feedback, deliberations,
comment, inclusion, equity, and a public hearing on the proposed resolution.
During
the scheduled Richmond
City Council Special Meeting, Council will consider and vote on Richmond
City Council Resolution # 2021-R084, a proposed resolution for establishing criteria and
proposing a timeline to
assist in guiding its public Richmond Decennial Voter District Redistricting
process for updating and establishing the nine local Richmond Voter Districts.
The intent and purpose of
the proposed Redistricting criteria and timeline is for the redistricting process
to be fair, inclusive, and equitable on behalf of Richmond residents. The
proposed criteria and timeline in the legislation were developed with the
assistance of the Richmond Office of the City Attorney’s external redistricting
consultant, Mr. Gerry Hebert, and were publicly discussed during the Richmond
City Council Informal meeting, held on October 11, 2021, and again during the
Council Organizational Development Standing Committee meeting, held on December
6, 2021.
Richmond City Council is
committed to ensuring its redistricting process is clearly defined,
transparent, inclusive, equitable, and driven by and responsive to resident input,
discussion, awareness, engagement, feedback, deliberations, comment, inclusion,
equity, and opportunity on behalf of Richmond residents.
Richmond residents will have and be provided
additional opportunities for additional public hearing, input, discussion, awareness, engagement,
feedback, deliberations, and comment on the 2021/2022 Richmond Decennial Voter
District Redistricting process and any proposed plan or plans.
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.
Richmond City Council also 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, 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.
Richmond
Decennial Voter District Redistricting
information portal email, at redistricting@rva.gov.
Every 10
years (Decennially), following the release of the decennial census by the United
States Bureau of the Census, voter
districts across the nation are updated to reflect changes in populations over
that time in order to increase equality of representation on behalf of voting
residents when participating in general, primary, and/or special governmental
elections.
Richmond
residents use the nine local Richmond Voter Districts 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 City Council updates the geographic boundaries
of the nine Richmond Voter Districts to reflect population shifts during that
time in order to properly balance them across the City. This is known as the
Richmond Decennial Voter District Redistricting process.
Adjustments to
Richmond Voting Precincts and locations are also to be made at this time. The new
Richmond Voter Districts are to be established in 2022.
Richmond residents are also invited to
visit the Richmond City
Council Redistricting information portal (https://www.rva.gov/richmond-city-council/redistricting) for updated information regarding and during the 2021/2022 Richmond Decennial Voter District
Redistricting process.
- 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
