City of Encinitas to hold virtual redistricting workshop Aug. 16

The City of Encinitas has begun the process of redistricting the City Council district boundaries based on the 2020 census data. On July 1, the City launched a website, www.encinitasca.gov/redistricting, which explains the redistricting process and procedures as well as outlines a timeline of events, including opportunities for members of the public to testify and provide input through workshops and formal hearings.

The first community workshop will be on Monday, Aug. 16, from 6-8 p.m. While originally planned to be held in-person, due to the rise in the number of COVID-19 cases and the uncertainty of the public’s vaccination status, it was determined it would be best for all involved to move to a virtual workshop. The public is invited to participate and ask questions to learn more about the redistricting process, the criteria for redistricting, communities of interest, and the timeline. The workshop will also be recorded. More information about the workshop, including instructions for participating virtually and submitting questions, can be found at www.encinitasca.gov/redistricting.

Additionally, a public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021, during the City Council meeting with another workshop scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. More details will be released as these events approach.

Following every federal decennial census, local governments are required to commence a formal redistricting process as prescribed by the California Elections Code. As a consequence of the Legislature’s significant revisions to the FAIR MAPS Act in 2020, Encinitas must follow a somewhat different process and different substantive criteria than those used to establish its current voting districts in 2017. It is therefore necessary for Encinitas to undertake a redistricting effort following the federal 2020 census that uses the specific procedures California law now requires. The deadline for the council to adopt the redistricting plan is April 17, 2022, with the first election using the new plan on Nov. 8, 2022.

Encinitas has an approximate population of 60,000. The city was incorporated in 1986, drawing together the communities of New Encinitas, Old Encinitas, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Olivenhain and Leucadia.