The Albuquerque City Council has approved a once-in-a-decade redistricting proposal that will actually mean little change for the city.
By a 6-3 vote, council members approved a boundary reset that, while reshaping population demographics in nine districts, experts are convinced will result in “minimal change,” with only 5.8% of the city’s population finding themselves in a new district.
“Every 10 years, the City Charter requires that the Council appoint a committee composed of an equal number of representatives from each Council District to review and make recommendations regarding redistricting the Council Districts based on information from the Federal Census,” according to a report by the City of Albuquerque. “The Committee is tasked with using the population data from the official 2020 U.S. Census along with any other pertinent information to make a report recommending changes in the Council District boundaries that the Committee decides are necessary based on constitutional principles governing voting rights, population, compactness and other related factors.”
According to the Albuquerque Journal, over the last decade the city has added less than 20 acres and this time around districts 3, 4 and 9 will not change at all. Councilors Louie Sanchez, Klarissa Peña, Brook Bassan, Dan Lewis, Trudy Jones and Renée Grout all cast votes in favor of the plan, while councilors Pat Davis, Isaac Benton and Tammy Fiebelkorn opposed it.
At one point, The Journal reported there was a push for more drastic changes to be made in the map in the name of building more Hispanic representation. As part of that proposal, the International District of Albuquerque would be joined within one district as opposed to the current map makeup.
Presently, the city population is 47.7% Hispanic and 37.7% white, with the districting plan just passed paving the way for five majority Hispanic districts and four majority white ones.