Earlier this week, Archuleta County posted a proposed redistricting map on its website, here.
The map applies specifically to the three County Commissioners, who must reside in (and make an effort to represent) District 1, District 2, or District 3, respectively. All registered electors in Archuleta County are allowed to vote on all commissioners, regardless of which District the voter lives in. The Districts define only where the candidates must live.
By law, all counties must review their BOCC district boundaries after each federal census, to ensure the districts are as equal in population as possible. Traditionally, this review occurred in the year following the federal census and had to be completed by September 30. However, significant delays in availability of population data from the 2020 Census — due to the COVID-19 crisis — made it impossible for counties to conduct the mandated review by the statutory deadline in 2021.
House Bill 21-1047 attempted to correct this issue by making a number of important changes to the county redistricting statute — including the timing of the mandated review.
I’m not sure I can endorse the proposed map, as currently drawn, for the reasons I will mention in a moment. Maybe some of our Daily Post readers feel the same?
From HB21-1047:
(3)(a) All county residents, including individual members of the Commission, may present proposed redistricting plans or written comments, or both, for the Commission’s consideration.
By law, all counties must review their commissioner district boundaries after each federal census, to ensure the districts are as equal in population as possible. Traditionally, this review occurred in the year following the federal census and had to be completed by September 30. However, significant delays in availability of population data from the 2020 Census due to the COVID-19 crisis made it impossible for counties to conduct the mandated review by the statutory deadline in 2021. House Bill 21-1047 attempted to correct this issue by making a number of important changes to the county redistricting statute — including the timing of the mandated review.
The County is seeking public comment on the redistricting. The proposed county redistricting maps can be viewed online, or in person at the Old Courthouse at 449 San Juan Street in Pagosa Springs.
Public comments can also be made at the Wednesday, July 5, 1:30pm meeting of the BOCC. Public comment forms can be filled out the day of meeting or emailed ahead of time to adminp@archuletacounty.org. The public is encouraged to read public hearings and meeting rules beforehand.
The meetings will be held at the County Administration building in the Commissioners Meeting Room at 398 Lewis Street. The public can also attend and provide comment via Zoom at:
https://zoom.us/j/91609048375?pwd=dlFFV0J1cGVKa1NHWHFsa2taeGxtZz09. Meeting ID 916 0904 8375 – Passcode 4141885
By law, all counties must review their commissioner district boundaries after each federal census, to ensure the districts are as equal in population as possible. Traditionally, this review occurred in the year following the federal census and had to be completed by September 30. However, significant delays in availability of population data from the 2020 Census due to the COVID-19 crisis made it impossible for counties to conduct the mandated review by the statutory deadline in 2021. House Bill 21-1047 attempted to correct this issue by making a number of important changes to the county redistricting statute — including the timing of the mandated review.
The new deadline for the BOCC to complete the redistricting process, is September 30, 2023. An election for Districts 1 and 2 will be held in November 2024.
The Colorado law also revised CRS 30-10-306(1) to read:
“In no event shall there be more than five percent deviation between the most populous and the least populous district in each county, at the time such district boundaries are adopted.”
Previously, the statute merely stated that the commissioner districts had to be “as nearly equal in population as possible,” but no specific ‘percent deviation’ was mentioned. The proposed map would make the population of the three districts nearly identical, all at 33%.
But that’s not the only requirement when defining BOCC districts.
Archuleta County posted two maps on their website. The 2011 map (existing) and the 2023 map (proposed). You can click the maps to see a larger version.
Looking at the two maps, I see very little change…other than the fact that District 1 is now pink instead of green… and District 2 is blue instead of pinkand District 3 is green instead of blue.
Basically, District 1 — currently represented by Warren Brown — includes much of the Pagosa Lakes area west of Piedra Road, north of Highway 160, but including all of Aspen Springs. District 2 is mainly south of Highway 160 and west of Trujillo Road (CR 500) and south of Aspen Springs… plus a small part of downtown Pagosa Springs.
District 3 is basically east of Piedra Road, and east of Trujillo Road, including most of downtown Pagosa.
The only revisions I noticed are in the area of Cloud Cap Ave./Aspenglow Boulevard neighborhood. Some voters have been shifted from District 1 into District 3.
Here are the 2011 Districts in that neighborhood…
…and here are the proposed changes.
(Note that the colors do not match in the two maps):
One of the goals mentioned by House Bill 21-1047
If I had my druthers, I would not split the Cloud Cap/Aspenglow neighborhood between two different districts. That doesn’t make any sense to me, and it doesn’t seem to align well with the requirements of HB21-1047 to avoid splitting up ‘communities of interest’.
And splitting downtown between two Districts also does not make sense.
As mentioned above:
(3)(a) All county residents, including individual members of the Commission, may present proposed redistricting plans or written comments, or both, for the Commission’s consideration.
A bit more text from HB21-1047 (which you can download here.)
(b) The Commission shall provide meaningful and substantial opportunities for county residents to present testimony, either in person or electronically, at hearings. If the hearings are held in person, each hearing must be held in a different third of the county. If the hearings are held electronically, the board of county commissioners shall either solicit feedback from the whole county for each hearing or solicit feedback from a different third of the county for each hearing. The Board of County Commissioners shall ensure that these hearings are broadly promoted throughout the county.
The commission shall not approve a redistricting plan until at least three hearings have been held…
Thus far, the Archuleta BOCC has announced only one hearing date.