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Orange County BCC creates 15‑member mid‑decennial redistricting advisory committee to redraw districts after charter change
Summary
Following the charter amendment that increases the commission from six to eight seats, the board approved formation of a 15‑member Mid‑Decennial Redistricting Advisory Committee with co‑chairs appointed by the mayor and a September 15 recommendation deadline for maps.
Orange County commissioners on Jan. 28 approved an ordinance establishing a 15‑member Mid‑Decennial Redistricting Advisory Committee (MRAC) to redraw county commission districts after voters approved a charter amendment increasing the commission from six to eight seats.
County attorney Whitney Evers told the board the charter amendment requires a revised map no later than Nov. 1, 2025, so the county must act this year. The MRAC will review population data, mapping proposals and public input and deliver recommended maps by Sept. 15 to allow the commission time for hearings and adoption before the November deadline.
Evers reviewed legal criteria the committee must follow: equal population under the 14th Amendment; compliance with Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act to avoid minority vote dilution (packing or fracturing); contiguity and compactness; preservation of political subdivisions and communities of interest; and protection of cores of prior districts. She also cautioned that a state law change prohibits drawing districts with intent to favor or disfavor an incumbent based on the elected official’s residential address.
The resolution adopted by the board creates a 15‑member panel with six commissioners each appointing two members, the mayor appointing three members including two co‑chairs, and the county comptroller serving as recording secretary for the committee. Staff co‑leads from Planning & Development Services and the Community & Family Services Department and a court‑appointed consultant will provide mapping and legal support. The Supervisor of Elections office will assist and the committee’s meetings will be public and broadcast by Orange TV.
Commissioners debated the mayor’s authority to name the two co‑chairs. Some members argued giving the mayor appointing power provides countywide objectivity and legal defensibility; others asked that committee processes require majority approval for agenda additions and extended meetings and that co‑chair powers be balanced by committee votes. The board adopted amendments to the proposed rules — allowing the committee itself to add agenda items by majority vote — and unanimously adopted the ordinance.
Supervisor of Elections Karen Castor‑Lenox said her office is ready to assist with precinct mapping and other technical tasks, but warned the office’s budget has fiscal issues following recent invoices; commissioners pledged support for accounting clarity and to return any returned grant funds to stabilize the office budget.
The MRAC will hold one meeting in each current commission district, use mapping software to publish public‑facing map tools, and solicit public input via in‑person “roadshow” hearings and the county’s communications channels. Staff said the county will hire a mapping consultant for technology and legal review and will rely on updated population estimates until new Census products are available.
