HomeMy WebLinkAbout1969-01-15 EC MEMOj e •
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MEMORANDUM
TO: Stanley H. Dial, City Manager
FROM: Stephen A. Lyon, Director of Finance
DATE: January 16, 1969
SUBJECT: Reapportionment of City Council Districts for the
November 5, 1969, Municipal Election
The Englewood Election Commission met on January 15, 1969, to
discuss reapportionment of City c9uncil Districts. Rather than
provide a set of minutes and the detailed information which was
presented to the Election Commission, I am providing this memo-
randum which sets forth the thinking of the Election Commission
concerning reapportionment of the City and its recommendation.
The City Charter does not require that redistricting of the City
take place prior to early 1971 nor do~s the City Charter require
that the vote taken at a national election be used to determine
City Council Districts. Howeve~, the City Charter does require
that variances between the number of registered voters in the
smallest district and the highest district not be greater than
15% and that the redistricting be accomplished six months prior
to the date of the municipal election.
There are a number of reasons why the Election Commission feels
that redistricting prior to the 1969 municipal election is
necessary.
1. Based upon the 1968 National election the varian·ce be-
tween the number of registered voters in the smallest district
and the highest district is 34.6%. In fact the variance between
the smallest and next to the smallest district is 17.2%. Both
of the above exceed the 15% variance established as the maximum
by the City Charter. (The above calculations are based upon
votes cast in the 1968 National election. If the votes cast
in the 1967 municipal election were used, the variance would be
even greater.)
2. Three Arapahoe County Precincts are split by City of
Englewood district boundaries. As Arapahoe County furnishes the
City with registration lists for each municipal election, this
split will result in confusion to the judges of election at best
and at worse might enable a person to vote twice in the election.
3. The recent decisions of the United States Supreme Court
extend the one-man, one-vote principle to City Councils. For
this reason alone, redistricting is necessary~ and because of the
e e
Stanley H. Dial, City Manager
Page 2 ·
January l~, 1969
one-man, one-vote principle the Election Commission feels that
the city would be negligent to ignore the vote cast in the 1968
National election in determining City Council District lines.
Attached hereto is a map setting forth the present City council
District boundaries and the proposed boundaries. Below is a
tabulation of the number of registered voters contained within
each proposed district and the variation between the smallest
district, District III, and all other City Council Districts.
PROPOSED CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS
District Number Number of Voters % Greater than District III
I
II
III
IV
3,183
3,384
3,093
3,104
Number of voters shifted to new Districts: 2,153.
2.9%
9.4%
-0-
. 3%
In preparing the recommended reapportionment, the following items
were taken into consideration:
1. The vote cast in the 1968 National election would be
used as the basis for reapportionment.
2. The variance between the smallest and largest districts
would not be allowed to exceed 15%.
3. The variance between districts would be as small as
possible while meeting the other considerations.
4. The proposed district boundaries would coincide with
County Precinct boundaries in order that no County precinct be
separated by an Englewood City Council District.
5. No incumbent City Councilman elected from a district
would be caused to lose his seat upon the Council prior to the
expiration of his term by the shifting of the area ~n which he
resides from his present City Council District to a new district.
According to Section 28 of the City Charter, if a City Councilman
should become a non-resident of the district from which he was
elected during the term of his office, hi~ position pecomes vacant.
After discussion with Mr. Criswell, City Attorney, it is his
conclusion that should a Councilman's residence shift to a new
district from reapportionment the Councilman would lose his seat
on the effective date of the reapportionment. Reapportionment
does not effect Councilmen elected at large.
e
Stanley H. Dial, City Manager
Page 3
January 16, 1969
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6. .1\s low a number of voters would be shifted to a new
City Council District as possible.
Following the above guidelines there is only one other a lternative
method of redistricting the City to that which is recommended. This
alternative involves an 11.2% variance between the smallest district
and the largest district and shifts approximately 2,535 voters
to new City Council Districts.
The Election Commission recommends that the new City Council
Districts as set forth on the attached map be adopted by ordinance
by the City counc il fo r the 1 969 general municipal e l ection.
According to the City Charter, the ordinance adopt i ng the recommended
boundaries must be effective prior to May 4, 1969, which is six
months befor~ the next municipal election.
mmb
Attachment
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Stephen A. Lyon .
Director of Finance
cc Englewood Election Commission