After hours of discussions, the Lubbock City Council will take a final vote on a new district voting map during Tuesday’s meeting at Citizens Tower. This will be the last opportunity for public comment before the new map is finalized.
The council and an outside consulting firm were tasked with redrawing the six city council districts based on data from the 2020 U.S. Census. Over several meetings, they had to balance the number of constituents in each district while avoiding racial gerrymandering. The target number of constituents in each district is 42,914.
It came down to two maps last week with a unanimous vote from the council on which one will go forward. Its working title is “Illustrative Plan 2.”
That map maintains Districts 1 and 2 as majority-minority populations. Both of the districts had to increase population to reach the ideal number of constituents.
District 1 includes northeast Lubbock with most of its southern border toeing 34th Street between Interstate 27 and University Avenue. The 41,983 residents in the redrawn district are approximately 55% Hispanic, 34% White and 9% Black.
District 2 is comprised of neighborhoods inside Loop 289 and east of Interstate 27, with several neighborhoods along University Avenue between 40th Street and 114th Street. Data show that of the 42,434 residents in the district, approximately 50% are Hispanic, 25% White and 20% Black.
Maintaining those majority-minority districts was a priority for the council, especially for the representatives from those areas.
“We went as hard as we could to try to come up with something that I hope will work for the citizens,” said District 2 City Councilwoman Shelia Patterson-Harris. “The work from this point forward, once we finalize a plan, is to just ensure that whoever occupies these seats, that they hear from the folks in every corner of the district they represent.”
District 5, which includes most of southwest Lubbock outside of Loop 289, also took special consideration. Data shows that it is the fastest growing district in the city, so the number of constituents there is intentionally lower to account for growth. The redrawn district will have roughly 41,124 people who are 66% White, 23% Hispanic and 3% Black.
If approved Tuesday, the new map will go into effect before the next city election in May 2022. For more redistricting resources, visit mylubbock.us.
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Have a news tip? Email Sarah Self-Walbrick at saselfwa@ttu.edu. Follow her reporting on Twitter @SarahFromTTUPM.
