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Council hires Bickerstaff Heath Delgado & Acosta to prepare redistricting plan after Shore Acres consolidation
Summary
Council authorized a contract with Bickerstaff Heath Delgado & Acosta to prepare a single‑member district redistricting plan for the May 2027 election and to form an advisory committee; attorney Bob Heath said the Shore Acres consolidation added about 1,500 people and created a deviation near 27%, exceeding the preferred maximum of 10%.
The La Porte City Council authorized city staff to execute a contract with the law firm Bickerstaff Heath Delgado & Acosta to prepare a redistricting plan for single‑member City Council districts effective for the May 2027 municipal election, and to form a redistricting advisory committee connected to the consolidation of Shore Acres into La Porte.
Attorney Bob Heath told the council that adding Shore Acres increases District 5’s population and pushes the city’s district deviation to about 27% (the typical target is under 10%), meaning the council will want to adopt a plan at least three months before the May 2027 election if it is required. He recommended forming an advisory committee, adopting redistricting criteria (equal population, preserving communities of interest), and considering reasonable adjustments for known development since the 2020 census. The firm offered to perform population estimates using building permits, utility connections and other data to reduce the likelihood of needing another redistricting after 2030.
Council discussed whether to include recent apartment and subdivision growth in the 2027 plan to avoid repeat work ahead of the next census. The motion to authorize the contract and form a committee carried; council asked staff to prepare rules for a redistricting advisory committee and return the guidelines at the next meeting.
