COUNTY OF MENDOCINO REDISTRICTING PROCESS

Every ten years, local governments use new census data to redraw their district lines to reflect how local populations have changed. State law requires cities and counties to engage communities in the redistricting process by holding public hearings and/or workshops and doing public outreach, including to Spanish speaking communities.

WHAT IS REDISTRICTING?

Every ten years, supervisorial districts must be redrawn so that each district is substantially equal in population. This process, called redistricting, is important in ensuring that each board member represents about the same number of constituents. How the districts are drawn determines how effectively a community is represented in local government. In Mendocino County, the Board of Supervisors is responsible for drawing supervisorial districts and is utilizing a community-based advisory committee. Redistricting is done using U.S. Census data, which is anticipated to be released around October 20, 2021. For the County of Mendocino, the redistricting process must be completed by December 15th (unless extended by the State Legislature.)

WHY DOES REDISTRICTING MATTER TO ME?

Redistricting determines which neighborhoods and communities are grouped together into a district for purposes of electing a member of the Board of Supervisors.

The Board of Supervisors through the Community-based Advisory Committee will seek public input in selecting the next district map for our supervisorial districts. You have an opportunity throughout this process to share how you think district boundaries should be drawn to best represent your community.

You can contact the Committee at redistricting@mendocinocounty.org to find out more about how the process works and to provide public comment.

WHAT DO THE EXISTING SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICTS LOOK LIKE?

You can find a map of the County’s current supervisorial districts here.

WHAT CRITERIA WILL BE USED WHEN DRAWING DISTRICT LINES?

In accordance with federal and state law, the Committee and Board must draw district lines pursuant to the following criteria in order of priority

Federal Law:

• Substantially equal population (based on total population of residents as determined by the most recent Federal decennial Census and adjusted by the State to account for last known address of incarcerated persons)
• Federal Voting Rights Act (Section 2)
• No racial gerrymandering

California Law:

• Geographically contiguous districts (i.e., the County may not draw two districts that only join at a single point).
• Geographic integrity of local neighborhoods or communities shall be respected in a manner that minimizes its division (i.e., a population that shares common social or economic interests that should be included within a single district for purposes of its effective and fair representation).
• Geographic integrity of a city or town shall be respected in a manner that minimizes its division.
• Easily identifiable boundaries that follow natural or artificial barriers (rivers, streets, highways, rail lines, etc.), and streets.
• Lines shall be drawn to encourage geographic compactness (i.e., not bypassing one group of people to reach another group of people).

The Advisory Committee and Board of Supervisors may also consider additional criteria. However, boundaries shall not be drawn for purposes of favoring or discriminating against an incumbent, a political candidate, or political party.

WHAT IS A COMMUNITY OF INTEREST?

• Residents who live in an unincorporated town or incorporated city
• Residents who live downtown or in a neighborhood
• Residents who share a common language
• Residents in shared geographical area, e.g., urban/suburban/rural, mountainous, coastal, agricultural, etc.)
• Residents who share place-based issues/needs, e.g, public safety (wildfire concerns), environmental (air pollution)
• Political subdivisions, e.g., school districts, planning areas
• Areas that share a common economic basis, eg., agriculture, forestry, fishing, tourism

HOW WILL BOARD OF SUPERVISORS NOTIFY THE PUBLIC ABOUT REDISTRICTING?

Mendocino County will reach out to local media to publicize the redistricting process. Also, we will make a good faith effort to notify community groups of various kinds about the redistricting process. Our public hearings and workshops will be provided in applicable languages if residents submit a request in advance to redistricting@mendocinocounty.org. Mendocino County will notify the public about redistricting hearings and workshops, post maps online before adoption, and create a dedicated web page for all relevant information about the redistricting process. Please continue to check this webpage for more information and resources.

You can sign up to receive Redistricting Information as soon as it is posted by signing up here.

HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE

Every Mendocino County resident has an opportunity to participate in the Mendocino County redistricting process. There are many ways to participate.

•  Attend public hearings. Hearings will be live broadcast on the Mendocino County YouTube page, at https://www.youtube.com/mendocinocountyvideo or by toll-free, telephonic live stream at 888-544-8306.
•  Provide comment and testimony during redistricting workshops and hearings. 
  
•  Submit eComments on a posted agenda on the County website.
•  Submit comments anytime on this redistricting website via redistricting@mendocinocounty.org.          Comments will be available for the public and the committee members to review.
•  Learn and Explore Maps and Data
  • Example Map: Mendocino County Supervisor Districts 2011 with 2020 State Adjusted Population Data

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DECIDING THE NEW SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES?

While the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors will make the ultimate decisions, the Community-based Advisory Committee with the assistance of County staff will advise and assist the Board with redrawing supervisorial districts.

GENERAL TIMELINE OF THE 2021 REDISTRICTING PROCESS

Please Note: Census data is typically provided to counties in March.  For this redistricting cycle, the US Census Bureau will not be providing the County census data until the end of September 2021, and the State will need an additional few weeks to further adjust the data to account for State prisoner's last known addresses. This will push out our originally projected timeline over the Summer and then cause a compressed timeline this Fall. 

PUBLIC HEARINGS

The Mendocino County Redistricting Advisory Committee will be meeting throughout 2021. Public hearings and workshops will be open to the public.  The public hearings are anticipated to be held in the Board of Supervisors’ Chambers, 501 Low Gap Road, Ukiah. Locations of public workshops are TBD.

View a calendar of all public hearing and workshop dates, including date, time, agenda, and a recording or written summary of past meetings here.

GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS

You may provide live public comments on the day of any Board hearing or redistricting public workshop.  You may also submit  general public comment by emailing redistricting@mendocinocounty.org or by submitting your comment using our online Public Comment Request Form. 

SUBMIT PROPOSED MAPS

You may submit proposed district maps or Community of Interest maps by emailing redistricting@mendocinocounty.org. You may also submit comments regarding a Community of Interest by completing our online Community of Interest Form.

NEED ASSISTANCE OR HAVE QUESTIONS?

We are happy to assist you. Please contact us via email at: redistricting@mendocinocounty.org, or by phone at 707-463-4441. 

REDISTRICTING RESOURCES

US Census Bureau 2020 Census Data

California Redistricting Commission Information