Title
An Ordinance to Amend Sections 1:451 to 1:455 of Chapter 17, Reapportionment of Wards, of Title I of the Code of the City of Ann Arbor (Ordinance No. ORD-11-15)
Memorandum
The attached ordinance proposes amendments recommended by City staff to reapportion the City’s five wards based on the population numbers released in April with the United States Census for 2010. The target population number based on the new Census data was 22,787 persons per ward. The attached ordinance amendment reduces the size of the First Ward and increases the other four wards, coming within 1% plus or minus of the target. The proposed changes were prepared by the City Clerk and City Attorney’s Offices with support from staff in IT.
The proposed boundary changes focus on the downtown area in order to follow the guidelines set forth in the City Charter for the creation of the ward boundaries, specifically that the wards are each a pie-shaped segment coming out of the center of the city. The changes also meet the requirements of the Charter and State law that the boundaries be compact and contiguous and that the population in each ward is nearly equal based on the Census.
The changes proposed are minor; however, it does move former First Ward areas in the downtown and near campus to all four wards, with the largest sections going to the Third and Fifth Wards. Some changes were made to the original staff proposal following direction received at the July 5, 2011 Council meeting.
In order to comply with State Election Law and the Michigan Home Rule Cities Act, staff is recommending that the ordinance go into effect following the August Primary, but in advance of the November General Election. Once approved, final adjustments to the precinct boundary lines will be made by the City Election Commission and voters will be notified of their new ward and polling place sixty days prior to the November 8 election. The proposed maps were presented to City Council at the Working Session on Jun...
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