Districting is the process by which a jurisdiction transitions from an at-large to a by-district election system. In this new system, there is one seat on the City Council for each district. Candidates for that seat must live in that district, and only voters who live in that district can vote on those candidates. Whichever candidate is elected will then serve as that district’s representative on the City Council.
All district lines must meet strict requirements for population equality and voting rights protections, as well as respect neighborhoods and local communities of interest to the extent practicable. In the City of Goleta, the City Council is responsible for approving the final district maps. Our districting process must be completed by April 17, 2022.
Districting determines which neighborhoods and communities are grouped together into a district for the purposes of electing a City Council member. City staff will seek input in selecting the initial map for our council districts. You have an opportunity to share with the City how you think district boundaries should be drawn to best represent your community.
You can contact the City Clerk at cityclerkgroup@cityofgoleta.org to find out more about how the process works.
Federal law requires that districts have about the same number of people in them, and adhere to the Voting Rights Act by not diluting the vote of protected classes.
State law (FAIRMAPS Act (AB 849) and AB 1276) requires that districts be drawn using the following criteria in the given order of priority:
- Districts should be contiguous (each district should be one piece)
- Districts should respect the integrity of local neighborhoods or communities of interest in a manner that minimizes their division
- District boundaries should be easily identifiable by following natural or artificial barriers (rivers, streets, highways, rail lines, etc.)
- Districts should be compact
In addition, districts should not be drawn to favor or discriminate against a political party.
City staff will reach out to local media to publicize the districting process. Also, we will make a good faith effort to notify various community groups about this process. Our public hearings and workshops will be provided in applicable languages upon request.
City staff will notify the public about districting hearings and workshops, post maps online before adoption, and create a dedicated web page for all relevant information about the districting process. Also, continue checking this website for more information and resources.
City staff will be holding both hearings and workshops to receive public input on where district lines should be drawn. The dates of those hearings and workshops are posted on the Schedule page. You can also submit your own map.
No. You can draw boundaries for just one district in your part of the City, or any other part.
Once submitted, maps are considered public records. City staff will post all legally-compliant submitted maps on the Draft Maps page.
There are a number of online publications and guides about districting/redistricting. Visit the Resources page to see the available resources.
The City Council will choose a map and adopt it by Ordinance, considering input from the public and any recommendations from the Council’s appointed Public Engagement Commission.
The Public Engagement Commission (or PEC) consists of 7 members of the community, appointed by the City Council. The purpose of the PEC is to increase public engagement in City government. The City Council formed the PEC specifically, in part, to “provide input to the City Council on the process of determining district lines for future elections.”