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Downey council affirms shift to five-member district elections, seeks delay of implementation to 2028
Summary
City Council voted unanimously to reaffirm its earlier decision to move to five equal council districts and asked staff to seek an agreement with the plaintiff to delay the change's effective date to 2028; the decision follows two public hearings and public comment.
The Downey City Council on Jan. 28 reaffirmed its earlier vote to move the city from a mixed system to five single-member council districts and directed staff to seek an agreement with the prospective plaintiff to delay the effective date of the change until 2028.
City Attorney John Funk summarized the process for the council and public, saying, "we are in the middle of a series of public hearings to consider a potential transition in our election system," and describing the procedural steps that would follow a decision to adopt a five-district plan, including hiring a demographer and holding additional hearings on draft maps.
The council majority emphasized two recurring points in the discussion: (1) a five-district plan requires drawing a new fifth district from parts of the existing four and therefore will produce draft maps for public comment, and (2) state law protects incumbents from having current terms shortened by a change in the election system. Councilmembers also asked staff whether the council could provide direction to the demographer about geographic preferences for a new district (for example, taking roughly equal percentages from surrounding districts); City Attorney Funk and the demographer will accept council input when the draft maps are prepared.
City Clerk Duarte reported one written comment in favor of a five-district system from Faraz Akil. Six members of the public took spots on the public-comment list and several spoke in favor of five districts and a rotating mayor system; others raised procedural questions about the plaintiff and the basis for the California Voting Rights Act challenge. The council heard public testimony before voting.
A motion to affirm the prior decision to implement a five-district system and to seek a delay of the effective date until 2028 passed unanimously. Staff said that, if the council affirms five districts, the city will retain a demographer, publish draft maps before the third public hearing (anticipated Feb. 25), and accept map submissions from the public. The ordinance implementing any change must be adopted by May 12, 2025, by agreement with the prospective plaintiff to meet the agreed timeline, and staff said the earliest practical implementation could be the November 2026 election unless the parties agree to a later effective date.
