Town Of Arlington: Reprecincting Archive

Arlington MA

24 November, 2021

1:43 PM

Description

Press release from Town of Arlington: 11/24/2021 8:00 AM The Reprecincting Working Group Every ten years all communities in the Commonwealth are required to review their population numbers after the Federal Census results are published and submit a new precinct map for approval by the State. The Select Board begins by reviewing a draft of the new boundaries created by the Secretary of State and proposing adjustments, if necessary. The Select Board votes to approve the final map and precinct descriptions and submits the final map to the Secretary of State for final review and approval. The draft maps prepared by the State required local input as the State's mapping algorithm focused only on population numbers. Community review of the boundary lines and underlying demographic data from the Federal Census is needed to adjust the boundaries so they respect natural neighborhoods and protect voting rights of minority groups.  Given the many resolutions passed by Town Meeting to celebrate past and present diversity in Arlington, as well as the Town's ongoing initiatives to advance racial equity efforts, the Town established a Reprecincting Working Group (RWG) to move beyond basic population numbers and look closely at how precinct boundaries are drawn. Throughout the reprecincting process, the RWG has invited residents to provide feedback through a variety of channels to assist them in preparing draft maps for review by the Select Board. The Reprecincting Working Group is comprised of the following Town staff: Juliana Brazile, Town Clerk Jillian Harvey, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Adam Kurowski, Director of GIS / Systems Analyst Kelly Lynema, Assistant Director, Department of Planning and Community Development The RWG has sought to bring more equity to the process, considering factors such race, ethnicity, age, income, homeownership, and equitable elections of Town Meeting Members when drafting proposed boundaries. Information and materials prepared for the November 22 Select Board Hearing The Select Board will vote on November 22 to approve one of two maps and welcomes feedback from residents on the two maps until Tuesday, November 16. Please provide feedback on: which map you prefer and why any specific areas on the map that create local concerns Limited Change Map: Makes only necessary changes to re-balance population Changes 10 precincts (those precincts elect all Town Meeting Members) Recommended Map: Re-draws several precincts to create opportunity for increased diversity and fair representation in Town Meeting Changes 11 precincts (those precincts elect all Town Meeting Members) Interactive Map Click the Layers icon in upper left to see the data.  You can review a presentation explaining each change. The maps are tightly constructed puzzles to meet the legal requirements so even minor adjustments may not be practical this late in the process, but all feedback helps the process and will be reviewed. How to Submit Feedback Online: Google Form Email: [email protected] Mail: Town Clerk, 730 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02476 Drop Box: Town Hall drop boxes are located in front of the building or in the parking lot off Academy St. Timeline 11/15 Envision Arlington Civic Engagement Group Zoom Forum for Q/A (7:30-8:30pm; please register in advance ) 11/16 Final day to submit feedback 11/22 Select Board approves one map 11/23 RWG submits the map to the Secretary of State Secretary of State produces official legal documentation of the proposed precinct plan 11/29 (tentative) Select Board votes to approve the formal documentation 12/2 RWG submits signed documentation to the Secretary of State for approval 12/4 final deadline to submit  Data Used in Drafting the Proposed Precinct Maps Goal: Adjust precinct boundaries as necessary to do a better job of grouping similar census blocks to build precincts that have a coherent profile. Under the recommended precinct map, some precincts have been adjusted to comprise almost entirely of residents who live in single-family houses, with higher wealth and lower density, and others would be comprised of residents who live in apartment buildings or two-family homes, and households who on average earn a lower income. The majority of the latter precincts are clustered around the Mass Ave Corridor. Under these revised boundaries, the expectation is that residents in those precincts will be more likely to see Town Meeting Member candidates whose demographic profiles are more similar to their own, thereby increasing the chance that Town Meeting Members will, over time, better reflect the economic and racial diversity of all town residents.  Race Data: The law requires all levels of government to protect racial minority voting rights; precinct lines must not dilute or consolidate racial minority residents in precincts that limit their ability to elect representatives. Arlington has a low percentage of racial minority residents and their voting rights are also considered in the larger context of the state districts. The state has drawn new maps that increase the number of districts that have a majority of BIPOC residents. Both proposed Arlington maps make sense when looking at race data. There are no significant flaws or advantages guiding a choice between the two maps on that one point.   Other Data: Since Town Meeting is responsible for approving Town and Zoning Bylaws that affect housing, parking, transportation, business districts, and density, the RWG felt it was pertinent to consider local factors that impact local representation. Arlington often uses data collected locally or American Community Survey data to inform plans and proposals. The data reviewed with respect to drawing precinct lines can be seen in the interactive map and includes: Household income Parcel density Rent vs own School district lines Zoning maps/types of housing Process: The data filters on the interactive map vary in the level of detail and not all correspond with the census blocks (the smallest unit and how precinct maps must be built). No one map, which involves hundreds of small trade-offs can ever align the boundary lines with all the data. The RWG used the data to see general trends as a guide to understanding the relationships between census blocks in any given area. Fair Representation: Some precincts include a wider range of the various demographic profiles: Precinct 8 (now and in the Limited Change Map) mixes high and low-density census blocks and the majority of Town Meeting Members live in low-density blocks. If this occurs in multiple precincts, a hypothetical debate about specific parking solutions for high-density areas might not fairly represent the needs of the high-density neighborhoods. The Recommended Map creates more opportunity to elect Town Meeting Members from parts of Arlington that are currently under-represented. Impacts: Residents in census blocks that change precincts may also be assigned to different polling locations that may be more or less convenient. Polling locations can be adjusted by the Select Board at any time. Redrawing precincts also affects the Finance Committee which has representatives from each precinct. A number of seats would need to be reappointed in January to prepare for the 2022 Annual Town Meeting. Information and Materials Leading to November 8 Select Board Hearing Select Board Hearing, November 8, 2021 The Reprecincting Working Group prepared two maps for the Select Board. Precincts that have changes to their boundary lines must elect all Town Meeting Members next April. These maps propose changes to either 10 (Limited Change Map) or 11 precincts (Recommended Map). Current and potential polling locations are indicated on the maps, however specific locations are not under discussion at this time since the Select Board can adjust polling locations any time. Presentation explaining the specific changes in both maps Limited Change Map Recommended Map The Select Board voted on October 13, 2021 to maintain 21 precincts in Arlington.  The Legislature has released their proposed district maps .  Previous maps and proposals remain available for review: The second round of draft maps for 16 and 21 precincts prepared by the RWG based on 2020 Census data for population, race and additional data on household income, rent or own status, and housing density. In addition, where possible the working group has incorporated public comments received over the past few weeks, which were helpful in identifying complicated neighborhoods or boundaries in need of further review. The state provided a new 16-precinct map based on the newly released 2020 Census population data. Information presented to the Select Board at their 10/13/21 hearing. View the presentation. Town Draft 2 - 16 Precincts - full size (click here for the interactive map) Town Draft 2 - 21 Precincts - full size - adjusted 10/5 (click here for the interactive map)  State Draft 2 - 16 precincts Current Precinct Map for reference Population and race data spreadsheets for the maps The second draft of the Town 21 Precincts map was corrected along the boundary of Precincts 16 and 17.  An earlier draft was posted mistakenly. Note that the state maps do not consider racial, economic, or local housing data. To see a full description of the reprecincting process, along with an interactive map showing demographic layers and an alternate proposal by a resident, visit Voter Reprecincting in Response to the 2020 Census.   Because of the delay in preparing new maps and corresponding explanatory documents, the comment period has been extended an additional week – until October 8th. Share your feedback on the Google Form. The Fact Sheet/FAQ has been updated to help residents get answers to the most common, and some new, questions. Both below and in the Fact Sheet are links to several reports: Equity Focus Explained  (including maps illustrating the data we used) Voter Reprecincting in Response to the 2020 Census (interactive maps and mapping data) The interactive maps allow residents to explore the proposed precinct boundaries and demographic data. Timeline – dates and links will be updated throughout the month Through October 8: public comment on updated draft maps September 13: Arlington received 2020 Census data files and began refining maps based on actual population numbers (instead of the population projections provided by the state earlier this summer) September 13: Select Board hearing to discuss overall number of precincts (meeting details) September 22: Reprecincting Zoom Forum (meeting details) September 23: Opportunity to view paper maps at Town Hall (meeting details) October 13: Select Board hearing (meeting details) November 8: Select Board hearing on revised maps November 22: Select Board vote to approve final submission April 2022: Local elections based on new precinct boundaries How to Share Feedback The Town is seeking feedback from the community on the proposed precinct boundary lines.  The goal of the reprecincting effort is to ensure fair representation in local elections. You can assist in this effort by sharing your thoughts about the following: Areas of town where adjusting a line will better reflect the community within a given precinct Precinct boundaries that may isolate a group of residents with potentially different local needs or concerns Provide input on the overall number of precincts to the Select Board The RWG will aggregate community feedback into revised precinct map alternatives. All of the alternative maps  and  public comments will be shared with the Select Board to inform their decision. Residents may submit feedback using any of the methods listed below. Online:           Google Form Email:             [email protected] Mail:               Town Clerk, 730 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02476 Drop Box:      Town Hall drop boxes are located in front of the building or in the parking lot off Academy St. Overview of the Process and Proposals Every ten years all communities in the Commonwealth are required to review their population numbers after the Federal Census results are published and submit a new precinct map for approval by the State. The Select Board begins by reviewing a draft of the new boundaries created by the Secretary of State and proposing adjustments, if necessary. The Select Board votes to approve the final map and precinct descriptions and submits the final map by October 30, 2021. The draft maps prepared by the State require local input as the State's mapping algorithm focuses only on population numbers. Community review of the boundary lines and underlying demographic data from the Federal Census is needed to adjust the boundaries so they respect natural neighborhoods and protect voting rights of minority groups. Residents are invited to provide feedback through a variety of channels to assist the RWG in preparing draft maps for review by the Select Board. Arlington Town Clerk Juli Brazile has proposed that the Select Board reduce the number of precincts from 21 to 16 to allow more flexibility in the face of anticipated changes to election law, especially regarding early voting and vote by mail. The Clerk has prepared a fact sheet (revised 10/1/21) with information on the reprecincting process and guidance on how the public can be involved. The League of Women Voters of Arlington, Election Modernization Committee and Envision Arlington volunteers held a virtual forum to encourage discussion and facilitate feedback. Previous Draft Maps Below are letter-sized maps for at home printing, public review and comment. Two of the maps were provided by the State, and are based exclusively on population projections. The Town draft maps have been drawn using additional information, including 2019 data on race and ethnicity, household income, and household tenure (whether a household rents or owns their home). These draft maps do not reflect local input or final population numbers. State Draft – 21 Precincts State Draft – 16 Precincts Town Draft – 21 Precincts Town Draft – 16 Precincts Need More Information? The fact sheet (revised 10/1/21) summarizes legal requirements and restrictions on the process. Watch the Reprecincting Overview video below for a summary of the process, draft maps, and how to share feedback.    Learn more about the option to reduce the Town's overall number of precincts from 21 to 16 by hearing from Town Clerk, Juliana Brazile, about how local elections are run and how changes to the number of precincts would impact residents.    The Secretary of State's staff met with Reprecincting Working Groups over the summer to help explain the details to each community. You can review the presentation here.  This press release was produced by Town of Arlington. The views expressed here are the author's own.