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Pontiac holds redistricting public hearing; council adopts first reading after amending ordinance
Summary
After hours of public testimony asking for more outreach, council amended an ordinance to remove a named map and adopted the first reading of revised council districts (6 districts plus one at‑large) to allow further deliberation.
Pontiac City Council opened a public hearing on Dec. 17 to gather community input on two proposed redistricting plans required by a charter change that reduces council districts from seven to six. Residents and neighborhood representatives filled the chamber and spoke for and against both options, repeatedly asking for clearer maps and additional outreach.
The hearing included requests for district‑by‑district blowups and complaints that earlier rounds of maps had been narrowed without adequate public consultation. Multiple speakers urged delay so residents could better understand how lines would affect neighborhood cohesion and voting precincts.
Council then considered the ordinance attachments that would adopt proposed plan A or plan B. Legal counsel advised that, for the first reading, the council could strike a clause naming a specific plan and instead adopt the ordinance framework provisionally. The council amended the ordinance attachment to remove the explicit reference to “Plan A” so the first reading would approve the ordinance language and leave selection of a final map for later deliberation.
Attorney Joanne Gurley, the city’s law director, confirmed the amendment was sufficient for a first reading. After discussion about timing and the need to balance legal deadlines with community outreach, the council approved the amended ordinance first reading on a 7–0 vote. The mayor and clerk’s office stressed that further public engagement will continue and that the charter sets an April final deadline for adopting new lines.
