St. Petersburg begins its decennial redistricting process at the end of 2022, and St. Petersburg who want to take part in the process can apply for a seat at the Redistricting Commission starting May 17th.
Every 10 years, after the release of the decennial census data, state and local governments redraw the boundaries of their legislative districts through a process known as “redistricting.” Redistricting adjusts the boundaries of legislative districts based on the new census data to ensure equitable representation of voters.
The City of St. Petersburg’s redistricting process will examine the boundaries of the eight districts used to elect members of the City Council. This process takes nearly six months to complete, and applications for a seat at the Commission has just opened.
The St. Petersburg redistricting process
The redistricting process begins with the submission of a redistricting report by the Mayor. This report includes census data and provides recommendations by the mayor for redistricting measures. Once the report has been submitted, the process of creating a Redistricting Commission begins.
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One Commissioner is appointed by the St. Petersburg Mayor and one Commissioner appointed by each of the eight City Council Members. The Commission is then responsible for creating districts based on city Council guidelines, the state constitution and the mayor’s report. The Commission has 60 days to submit a report to the City Council that includes a map and description of the recommended districts, an ordinance that the City Council can adopt to establish the recommended districts and hold at least one public hearing on the report.
The following timeline has been established for the upcoming redistricting process:
- August 4, 2022: Redistricting Report submitted to City Council and the nine-person citizens Redistricting Commission is established.
- August 13 – October 13, 2022: Redistricting Commission reviews Redistricting Report and determines how to redistrict the City consistent with standards in the Charter. At least one public hearing must be held on the proposed redistricting.
- October 13, 2022: Redistricting Commission submits their report to City Council recommending new Council districts.
- December 13, 2022: Deadline for City Council to adopt the Redistricting Commission’s recommended districts or reject the districts proposed by the Commission and adopt districts drawn by City Council through a unanimous voted.
Starting May 17, residents are invited to share their interest in joining the Commission. You can receive more information or apply to become a part of the commission here.
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