Thumbs up groups slam local leaders over updated political map – GV Wire

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A diverse coalition of community groups say Fresno government leaders care about themselves rather than voters as they move forward to define new district boundaries for elected offices.

They question the decision of the two governments to hire a Los Angeles demographics company to help with the local redistribution process.

Unfortunately, we are concerned that those in power, at both levels of government, are looking to put their thumbs in the balance and may use the redistribution process to preserve their own power, said Kaya Herron of the Fresno Metro Black Chamber of Commerce, member of the coalition. We believe voters should choose their politicians. Politicians should not choose their voters.

The Fresno Redistricting Coalition represents six organizations. The group says the consulting firm, National Demographic Corporation, has a checkered history of drawing maps for city council and oversight districts, as well as a reputation for drawing lines to keep incumbents in power.

“Warn them”

NDC is one of the nation’s most prolific demographic consultants, citing hundreds of clients, including several counties, towns and local school districts.

“We are warning them and we are warning elected officials on both sides, county and city, that we are aware that you have selected a group that gives you priority,” coalition spokesman Dillon Savory. mentionned.

NDC did not respond to GV Wire’s request for comment. However, they did address criticism in their proposal to the city of Fresno.

“The firm is sometimes criticized, usually by people outside the client’s jurisdiction, for not acting as an advocate or proselyte of what these outsiders think is ‘good’ for the client,” wrote the chairman of the Douglas Johnson Company. “But the members of the NDC team are expert advisers, not proselytes. NDC guides our clients through the process to a card that meets all legal requirements and our client’s goals and not the goals of external reviewers.

At a meeting of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors on April 13, Johnson said they never had a redistribution card proposal overturned by a judge.

City of Fresno and County have final say on changes

Ultimately, the full bodies of the Fresno County Oversight Board and Fresno City Council will approve the final district maps for their jurisdiction.

It shouldn’t be, Savory said.

“It should be mandatory that every jurisdiction that has elected officials goes through an independent process where the elected has nothing to do with the outcome that makes sense to each voter,” Savory said.

California Common Cause lists a handful of local jurisdictions that use an independent commission to draw the lines, including San Francisco, Sacramento, and San Diego.

Board members, supervisors defend the selection

Fresno City Council approved the contract with NDC by a 7-0 vote on the consent agenda at its June 24 council meeting. It came on a recommendation from the three-member redistribution subcommittee made up of board members Miguel Arias, Nelson Esparza and Tyler Maxwell.

In a joint statement, committee members said NDC was chosen through a public tendering process.

“NDC’s professional experience in developing maps based on federal and state laws is unmatched. Our city council also funded and issued a request for proposals for a separate company to conduct additional community outreach activities independent of the NDC, ”council members said. “We are confident that our outreach efforts will produce an all-time high level of community engagement and invite city residents to participate in person, online or virtually at the many community meetings to come.”

Maxwell estimates the contract will be worth $ 200,000, depending on the number of extras used by the city, such as mapping and outreach services.

Fresno County administrators approved his $ 93,500 contract with NDC without a vote from supervisors. The contract was worth less than the $ 100,000 needed for a vote.

“Fresno County has confidence in the non-partisan work and track record of NDC,” a county spokesperson said in an email. “Their team spans the entire political spectrum, from a former Democratic County Central Committee member to a retired Republican legislative staff member, to“ no party preference ”team members and a libertarian. “

Public contribution

No member of the coalition group spoke at the Fresno city council meeting on June 24.

Savory explained that his group met several times with the redistribution subcommittee and secured public meetings at convenient times, in multiple locations and at translation services.

But when it came time to talk about the demographer, the meetings stopped.

“We thought we had impacted the demographer process. Although we were surprised that they were moving forward with this it was more about answers and not about showing up at the board meeting and berating them… We couldn’t have gotten so much. information in a three-minute segment at Town Hall or on Zoom, ”Savory said.

Stamping rubber cards?

Savory is skeptical of the fairness of the lines that NDC will present to the city and county respectively.

“(NDC) will submit their lines to elected officials for approval, knowing that it is very difficult for community groups… it’s not like they can generate a lot of money to sue the city or the NDC for that matter, ”Savory said.

Fresno County has appointed an 11-member advisory committee. They held a formal meeting and workshop in Riverdale, attended by about 20 people. Four meetings are scheduled for August alone.

Fresno City Council has discussed the redistribution three times this year. A July 15 meeting was the first time the public could attend the chambers in person. Only two did.

Several more meetings and workshops are scheduled until the cards must be approved by December 15th.

About the Coalition

The coalition consists of Communities for a New California, Fresno Metro Black Chamber of Commerce, Jakara Movement, Hmong Innovating Politics, CAIR and Central Valley Partnership.

“We also wanted to form a diverse coalition that encompasses many marginalized and rediscovered communities with the census, with other aspects of civic engagement in everything we do and try to bring about change in our communities,” said Savory.

Savor said the coalition is an extension of the group’s awareness of the census.

“We’re all together to make sure that everything we’ve done with the census translates correctly for our elected officials,” Savory said.

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