After a citizens commission charged with redrafting state representative boundaries released a preliminary draft essentially splitting the city of Lompoc in half, city officials have been trying to send the commission a message of disapproval—but it hasn’t been easy.
On June 10, the California Citizens Redistricting Commission released its first draft of new congressional, state Assembly, and state Senate district boundaries, and has been accepting comment and suggestions through its website and at public meetings held across
the state.
But Lompoc officials—whose city is set to be divided with a crude zigzag boundary dividing it into two separate state Assembly and state Senate districts—have made it clear they oppose the preliminary draft.
After sending the commission a letter voicing their concern over the proposed voting lines on June 21, three council members drove to a public commission hearing in Oxnard on June 22.
However, council members Ashley Costa, Bob Lingl, and Dirk Starbuck arrived at the meeting to find a few hundred citizens and neighboring city officials hoping to do the same. According to Lingl, the meeting started promptly at 6 p.m. and ended at 9 p.m. sharp. Lingl said many in attendance—including the Lompoc council members—never got the chance to speak because the meeting ran out of time.
“It wasn’t mean or nasty, like they turned us away or refused to let us speak,” Lingl told the Sun. “But I do feel that when you hold a public meeting you should hear everybody who wants to speak, like we do [on the council].”
Lingl said Santa Barbara City Councilman Frank Hotchkiss was gracious enough to cut into his two minutes of comment to include the city of Lompoc’s concerns.
Gabino Aguirre, one of the 14 redistricting commissioners, said there are multiple reasons why meetings are limited to three hours, including budget factors and the need for commissioners to travel long distances in short periods of time to make the next meeting.
“At some venues it is made clear that we’re expected to be out of there in three hours, and we’ve gotten in trouble a few times for going over,” Aguirre told the Sun.
But the city did get its moment in the spotlight. The day after the Oxnard meeting, Costa made the seven-hour round trip to a similar meeting in Fresno, where she was able to address the commission directly.
“I figured that we needed our time to be heard,” Costa said. “If they just receive letters, it’s one thing, but I could build a stronger argument for Lompoc by being there in person.”
Districts are redrawn every decade after the release of federal census data. The commission—the result of the 2008 Voters FIRST Act—takes redistricting out of the hands of legislators and gives the responsibility to a bipartisan panel of volunteers.
“I think it’s a noble goal that they have put this in the hands of the citizens,” Lingl said. “In the past, with the gerrymandering that has gone on, it was embarrassing at times. But this process still [has] a few kinks.”
Costa’s criticism of the new redistricting process was a bit sharper.
“To be honest, it’s disconcerting. It feels just as political as before—and undemocratic,” she said. “People aren’t getting the chance to speak, and I feel I’m in the minority because I’m in a position where I can drive all the way to Fresno just to speak for two minutes.
“At least in gerrymandering, there is someone you can hold accountable,” Costa added. “Here, there are no repercussions [on commissioners].”
Commissioner Aguirre said she believes “the proof of [the commission’s] work will play out in future drafts and in future elections.”
The commission is currently reviewing public testimony regarding the first draft. It will issue a second draft on July 14.
This article appears in Jun 30 – Jul 7, 2011.