Ever wonder why some neighborhoods have different City Council representatives than others? Or why two similar communities side-by-side are within different City Council districts? The answer is that this is the product of months and months of deliberation by local policy makers who are charged with redrawing the council district boundaries in the City and County of Denver every 10 years. The process is called redistricting, and cities and counties all over the nation are required by law to redraw their district boundaries after the U.S. Census is complete. The most recent U.S. Census was completed in 2010, and this has triggered Denver to move forward with its own redistricting process.
The 2010 U.S. Census showed that Denver’s population grew to more than 600,000 over the past decade, and much of that growth was in far Northeast Denver near the airport. Denver is required to draw council district boundaries that put an approximately equal number of people in each of our 11 council districts and our target is 54,560 people in each district. We have to be careful of the number of people in each district, while also trying not to split neighborhoods or other communities of similar interests. The redistricting process in Denver begins with precinct boundaries being redrawn by the Clerk and Recorder, with City Councilmembers subsequently offering their own council district boundary map proposals for final adoption by the City Council. It’s a complex process that requires detailed analysis of neighborhoods, populations, demographics, and growth trends throughout the city.
So what does all of this mean and why should we care? It means that council district boundaries will most likely have to shift in order to adjust to the ever-growing population of Denver. Some neighborhoods could find themselves in a different council district, or we could see the addition of new and different neighborhoods to Council District 9. These changes can have a direct impact on how our neighborhoods are represented at the local level, and they could significantly change the way city projects and policy issues are addressed within the neighborhoods of our council district boundaries. Simply put, new council district boundaries can have an immediate impact on your neighborhood and how you are represented on the City Council.
As you can imagine, there will be many questions asked during the redistricting process. Should one neighborhood be represented by two different council representatives? Should a council district have one specific demographic, or should it include diversity? Will geographic borders such as rivers, highways, or open spaces be determining factors for new boundaries? Are there opportunities to advance economic development with different boundaries?
These are extremely important questions we should all be asking throughout this process, as the end result could have a significant impact on the future of our communities. More importantly, our redistricting process should be done with full transparency, where citizens of Denver have every opportunity to express their own ideas and concerns about the configuration of our council districts and their representation. Redistricting is one of the most important decisions our elected officials will make in the City and County of Denver, and your participation is critical to ensure a positive outcome.
So I encourage you to become actively involved and engaged in our redistricting process. Send me your thoughts, opinions, and ideas on what you think are important as the City and County of Denver deliberates new council district boundaries. Also, be sure you stay informed on what’s being discussed among policy makers by watching Denver 8 TV and visiting the Denver City Council website at www.Denvergov.org and viewing the Council’s Redistricting Committee section.
We’re still relatively early in the process, but the next few steps will be extremely important to follow, so be sure to check back regularly for more updates on the redistricting process and how it will affect you!
Sincerely,
Judy H. Montero, Councilwoman
City and County of Denver, Council District 9
