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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 2026-19_Redistricting criteriaRESOLUTION 2026-19 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LA PORTE, TEXAS, ADOPTING CRITERIA FOR USE IN THE REDISTRICTING OF LA PORTE CITY COUNCIL SINGLE -MEMBER DISTRICTS FOLLOWING CONSOLIDATION OF THE CITY OF SHOREACRES, TEXAS, WITH THE CITY OF LA PORTE, TEXAS, AND ADOPTING GUIDELINES TO BE FOLLOWED FOR SUBMISSION OF PROPOSED REDISTRICTING PLANS; FINDING COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE WHEREAS, this City Council has certain responsibilities for redistricting under federal and state law including but not limited to Amendments 14 and 15 to the United States Constitution; Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, 52 U.S.C.A. §10301; City Charter Article II, Sec. 2.01(b); and Tex. Gov't Code Ann. §§ 2058.001 and 2058.002; and WHEREAS, following consolidation of the City of Shoreacres, Texas, with the City of La Porte, Texas, in May of 2026, which resulted in the addition of approximately 1600 new residents in La Porte City Council District 5, it is necessary to redraw the City's single -member council districts so that they are relatively equal in population; and WHEREAS, it is the intent of the City to comply with the Voting Rights Act and with all other relevant law, including Shaw v. Reno jurisprudence; and WHEREAS, a set of established redistricting criteria will serve as a framework to guide the City in the formulation and consideration of districting plans; and WHEREAS, redistricting criteria will provide the City a means by which to evaluate proposed plans; and WHEREAS, redistricting criteria will assist the City in its efforts to comply with all applicable federal and state laws; and WHEREAS, it is necessary to provide for the orderly consideration and evaluation of redistricting plans which may come before the Council; and WHEREAS, these guidelines for entities submitting specific redistricting plans help to provide an orderly evaluation process; and WHEREAS, the Council also welcomes any comments relevant to the redistricting process. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LA PORTE, TEXAS, THAT: Section 1. The City Council, in its adoption of a redistricting plan for single -member council districts, will adhere to the following criteria to the greatest practical extent when establishing new single -member council district boundaries: 1. Easily identifiable geographic boundaries should be followed. 2. Communities of interest should be maintained in a single district, where possible, and attempts should be made to avoid splitting neighborhoods. 3. Districts should be composed of whole voting precincts. Where this is not possible or practicable, districts should be drawn considering county election precincts to the extent feasible. Avoid splitting census blocks unless necessary. 4. Although it is recognized that existing districts will have to be altered to reflect new population distribution due to the inclusion of new territory, any districting plan should, to the extent possible, be based on existing districts. 5. Districts must be configured so that they are relatively equal in total population according to the 2020 federal census as well as such updated population information that may be available. In no event should the total population deviation between the largest and the smallest district exceed ten percent as compared to the ideal district size. 6. Districts should be compact and composed of contiguous territory. Compactness may contain a functional, as well as a geographical, dimension. 7. Consideration should be given to the preservation of incumbent -constituency relations by recognition of the residence of incumbents and their history in representing certain areas. 8. Consideration shall also be given to maintaining areas consisting of residential tracts at least one (1) acre in size in the same single -member council district, to the extent possible. 9. The plan should be narrowly tailored to avoid racial gerrymandering in violation of Shaw v. Reno; and 10. The plan should be consistent with the Voting Rights Act as most recently interpreted by the U.S. Supreme Court. Section 2. In order to ensure that a redistricting plan submitted to the city provides value, the City Council hereby sets the following guidelines to be followed for submitting a proposed redistricting plan for consideration: 1. Citizen proposed plans must be submitted in writing and be legible. If a plan is submitted orally, there is significant opportunity for misunderstanding, and it is possible that errors may be made in analyzing it. The City Council wants to be sure that all proposals are fully and accurately considered. 2. Any plan must show the total population and voting age population for African -Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and Anglo/Other for each proposed district, based on the 2020 Census Data. If a plan is submitted without a population breakdown, the City Council may not have sufficient information to give it full consideration. 3. Plans should redistrict the entire city, so the City Council may consider the effect of any plan on the entire city. All plans are subject to the Voting Rights Act, which protects various racial and language minorities. Thus, as a matter of federal law, the City Council may be required to consider the effect of any proposal on multiple racial and ethnic groups. If a plan does not redistrict the entire city, it may be impossible for the City Council to assess its impact on one or more protected minority groups. 4. Plans should conform to the criteria the City Council will be using in drawing the districts. 5. Comments must be submitted in writing and be legible, even if the person also makes the comments orally at a public hearing. 6. Persons providing comments and those submitting proposed plans must identify themselves by full name and home address and provide a phone number and, if available, an email address. The City Council may wish to follow up on such comments or obtain additional information about submitted plans. 7. All comments and proposed plans must be submitted to the City Council no later than 14 days before the public hearing. Section 3. The City Council officially finds, determines, recites and declares that a sufficient written notice of the date, hour, place and subject of this meeting of the City Council was posted at a place convenient to the public at the offices of City of La Porte for the time required by law preceding this meeting, as required by the Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551, Texas Government Code; and that this meeting has been open to the public as required by law at all times during which this resolution and the subject matter thereof has been discussed, considered and formally acted upon. The City Council further ratifies, approves and confirms such written notice and the contents and posting thereof. Section 4. This resolution shall be in effect from and after its passage and approval. PASSED AND APPROVED this the fi`} day of aL CITY OF LA PORT i Rick Helton, Mayor tAiD v r , 2026. APPROVED AS TO FORM: (4. Clark T. Askins, City Attorney