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League of Women Voters and ACLU urge independent redistricting commission in letters to charter committee
Summary
Multiple civic groups, including both local League of Women Voters chapters and ACLU Northern California, submitted letters asking the Charter Review Committee to recommend an independent redistricting commission to remove conflicts of interest and increase transparency in drawing supervisorial districts.
The Charter Review Committee read into the record April 2 letters from civic organizations urging the committee to recommend a charter amendment establishing an independent redistricting commission.
Kim (staff) read comments from a March 29 letter by former redistricting advisory chair Jim Lawrence, who argued that an independent commission protects both the public and elected leaders by removing the perception and risk of politically motivated map drawing. "Independent redistricting actually protects the board of supervisors as much as it protects the public," the letter said, urging the committee to give voters the choice to adopt such reform.
Additional letters from the League of Women Voters chapters of North & Central San Mateo County and South San Mateo County and an endorsement from ACLU Northern California were also read. The League letters called independent commissions a best practice, saying they increase transparency, reduce conflicts of interest, and help produce fairer, more defensible district maps that protect minority representation and communities of interest.
The materials will be part of the public record and the committee indicated the redistricting subcommittee will return with a presentation and recommendations at an upcoming meeting.
