PEORIA -- The Peoria City Council's redistricting committee sent the first batch of redistricting maps back for readjustment, at its meeting on June 21. The committee received 10 different maps, and a packet full of statistics showing the population breakdowns on each one.
Nobody was pleased.
Some maps split up neighborhoods in favor of district lines running along major streets. That doesn't make sense, said one of several people who commented from the audience. "Neighborhoods are more important than major thoroughfares."
Others expressed agreement with that notion.
When the committee was asked whether the five districts should be expanded, and cumulative voting ditched, chairman Robert Spears said that's a decision for the full council.
The committee voted to send the issue to the council. It's only mission is to configure the maps for five districts.
The council could expand the number of districts, and cut back on the number of at-large members as its redistricts the city.
Ending cumulative voting is more problematic, since it was crafted as part of a legal settlement in a Voting Rights lawsuit late in the 1980s.
There's no rush. The deadline is in 2012, in time for council candidates to file petitions for election.
The committee meets again at 4:30 p.m. on July 5 in the City Council chambers, where it will have another look at the maps, which have been '"tweaked."
-- Elaine Hopkins
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