City Council evaluates draft maps for district-based election system transition

During the City of Gilroy City Council meeting on May 5, 2025, significant discussions centered around the ongoing transition from an at-large to a district-based election system. This meeting marked the fifth public hearing on the matter, with the council reviewing various proposed district maps and considering community feedback.

The primary focus was on narrowing down the submitted maps to a manageable number for further public discussion. Over 40 maps had been submitted by the public, but the council aimed to refine these to just a few drafts that best represented the community's interests. The demographer presented several draft maps, highlighting their adherence to the Fair Maps Act, which mandates that districts be relatively equal in population, contiguous, and respect communities of interest.

One of the key points raised was the importance of maintaining the integrity of the East Side community, which is predominantly Hispanic. Council members expressed a desire to ensure that this area remains cohesive within the districting process. Several maps were discussed, with particular attention to their shapes and the demographic representation they provided. For instance, draft maps were evaluated based on their ability to create districts with a majority Latino Citizen Voting Age Population (CVAP), with some maps achieving this while others fell short.

Public input was also a crucial aspect of the meeting. A resident, Bill O'Connor, emphasized the need to keep the East Side as a single district to preserve its unique neighborhood identity. He suggested alternative boundary lines that could better reflect community interests.

As the council moved forward, they planned to finalize the maps in the upcoming meetings, with the next steps including a vote on the selected maps and the sequencing of elections. The discussions highlighted the council's commitment to transparency and community engagement in the redistricting process, ensuring that the voices of Gilroy residents are heard and considered in shaping their electoral landscape.