PEORIA -- The Peoria City Council committee charged with drawing new city council districts voted to send a map to the full council during a July 5 meeting, but they're not recommending it.
The committee picked the 12th of 13 maps presented to them by city staffers. "All maps are available. This map is what they could use. The council has a starting place. This is not a final map, just a map to send to the council," committee chairman William Spears said.
"We need more opportunity for public reaction," he added.
That sentiment was echoed by some in the audience who spoke. The West Bluff neighborhood associations are meeting July 18 to consider the maps, said one.
Others asked about minority and socioeconomic makeups in the districts. "You're creating District 1 as a poor district," Jack Teplitz said.
Those factors were not considered, staffer Pat Landes said, only census data to equalize population in the five districts.
Cumulative voting, agreed to in the 1980s to settle a voting rights lawsuit, as a way to increase minority representation, applies only to the city's at-large districts.
The City Council also could decide to expand the number of districts before it makes a final decision on redistricting, Spears said.
Here's a link to the map and information.
-- Elaine Hopkins
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