(a)
Findings. In enacting this Article, the Board of Supervisors finds that:
(1)
Members of the Board of Supervisors ("Board") of the County of Tulare ("County") have been elected using district-based elections for the past 160 years.
(2)
In accordance with Chapter 6 of Division 21 of the California Elections Code, commencing with section 21500 ("Chapter 6"), following each federal decennial census this Board is required to adopt boundaries for all of the supervisorial districts of the County so that the supervisorial districts shall be substantially equal in population as required by the United States Constitution, and meet other criteria set forth in said Chapter 6.
(3)
In accordance with Chapter 9 of Division 21 of the California Elections Code, commencing with section 23000, this Board established and appointed eleven (11) members to an Advisory Redistricting Commission ("ARC") composed of residents of the County to recommend to this Board changes to those district boundaries.
(4)
The ARC held fourteen separate noticed public workshops and public hearings on the redistricting process (including two each in each of the County's five supervisorial districts) and received and considered community-submitted and ARC-directed redistricting maps as well as substantial public testimony and input regarding said maps, and the criteria required by Chapter 6 for the adoption of changed supervisorial district boundaries.
(5)
Over 300 persons attended the ARC's workshops and hearings in person, over 50 people participated on-line, and over 26 unique organizations were represented at the workshops and hearings, to which the ARC devoted nearly 40 hours of meeting time.
(6)
This Board retained the consulting firm of Lali Moheno and Associates to assist County staff and the ARC in providing public outreach and education, and in meeting the requirements of California Elections Code section 21508, subdivisions (a) and (b), to wit:
(A)
Encouraging residents, including those in underrepresented communities and non-English speaking communities, to participate in the redistricting public review process, including good faith efforts to do all of the following:
(1)
Provide information to media organizations that provide County news coverage, including media organizations that serve language minority communities.
(2)
Provide information through good government, civil rights, civic engagement, and community groups or organizations that are active in the County, including those active in language minority communities, and those that have requested to be notified concerning County redistricting.
(B)
Arranging for and providing for the live translation in the Spanish language, which is the principal non-English language spoken in the County, of the public hearings and workshop held pursuant to Chapter 6.
(7)
The ARC adopted and submitted a final report recommending this Board consider four maps proposing various changes in the boundaries of the County's supervisorial districts.
(8)
In accordance with California Elections Code section 21507.1, this Board held public hearings on October 26, November 2, and November 9, 2021, to consider the recommendations of the ARC and to receive public input regarding said recommendations and the composition of one or more supervisorial districts.
(9)
This Board has duly considered the recommendations of the ARC and all public input concerning said recommendations and the composition of one or more supervisorial districts.
(10)
This Board has complied in all material respects with the requirements of California Elections Code section 21508, subdivisions (c) through (g), to wit:
(A)
In accordance with subdivision (c), notwithstanding section 54954.2 of the Government Code, the Board published the date, time, and location for each public hearing and workshop on the internet at least five days before the hearing or workshop.
(B)
In accordance with subdivision (d):
(i)
A draft of the redistricting map hereby adopted was published on the internet for at least seven days before being adopted as a final map by this Board.
(ii)
Each draft map prepared by a member of the Board or by employees or contractors of the County has been accompanied by information on the total population, citizen voting age population, and racial and ethnic characteristics of the citizen voting age population of each proposed supervisorial district, to the extent the County has that data.
(iii)
The Board and employees or contractors of the County did not release draft maps of supervisorial districts earlier than one week after the block-level redistricting database required by subdivision (b) of section 8253 of the Government Code was first made publicly available on September 22, 2021.
(C)
In accordance with subdivision (e), this Board has allowed the public to submit testimony or draft maps in writing and electronically.
(D)
In accordance with subdivision (f), the County has recorded or prepared a written summary of each public comment and board deliberation made at every public hearing or workshop held pursuant to Chapter 6. The County has made the recording or written summary available to the public within two weeks after the public hearing or workshop.
(E)
In accordance with subdivision (g), this Board has established and will maintain for at least 10 years after the adoption of new supervisorial district boundaries, an internet web page dedicated to redistricting. The web page may be hosted on the County's existing internet website, or another internet website maintained by the County. The web page includes, or links to, all of the following information:
(i)
A general explanation of the redistricting process for the County, in English and Spanish.
(ii)
The procedures for a member of the public to testify during a public hearing or to submit written testimony directly to the board, in English and Spanish.
(iii)
A calendar of all public hearing and workshop dates.
(iv)
The notice and agenda for each public hearing and workshop.
(v)
The recording or written summary of each public hearing and workshop.
(vi)
Each draft map considered by the board at a public hearing.
(vii)
The adopted final map of supervisorial district boundaries.
(11)
The boundaries of the supervisorial districts hereby established are substantially equal in population as required by the United States Constitution, with population equality based on the total population of residents of the County as determined by the 2020 decennial federal census and in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 6.
(12)
Said boundaries comply with the United States Constitution, the California Constitution, and the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. § 10301 et seq.).
(13)
In addition to the criteria referenced in subparagraphs (11) and (12) above, said boundaries have been adopted using the following criteria as set forth in the following order of priority, as required by California Elections Code section 21500, subdivision (c):
(A)
To the extent practicable, said districts are geographically contiguous.
(B)
To the extent practicable, the geographic integrity of local neighborhoods and local communities of interest have been respected in a manner that minimizes their division.
(C)
To the extent practicable, the geographic integrity of cities and census designated places has been respected in a manner that minimizes their divisions.
(D)
To the extent practicable, said districts are bounded by natural and artificial barriers, by streets, or by the boundaries of the County, thereby making said district boundaries easily identifiable and understandable by residents of the County.
(E)
To the extent practicable, and where it did not conflict with the preceding criteria, said districts have been drawn to encourage geographical compactness in a manner that nearby areas of population are not bypassed in favor of more distant populations.
(14)
The supervisorial district boundaries have not been adopted for the purpose of favoring or discriminating against a political party.
(b)
Intent. Pursuant to Chapter 6 of Division 21 of the California Elections Code, the boundaries and numerical designations of the supervisorial districts for the County of Tulare are adjusted and established as set forth in this Article. It is the intent of the Board of Supervisors in enacting this Article to adopt a redistricting map in a manner consistent with the boundary descriptions maintained by the Tulare County Registrar of Voters, and which provides fair and effective representation for all people of Tulare County, enhances the opportunity for all voters to elect candidates of their choice, and which otherwise meets all requirements of law.
(c)
Census Tract, Census Block Group, and Census Block Defined. For purposes of this Article, references herein to "Census Tract," "Census Block Group," and "Census Block" refer to those demographic units as established by the United States Census Bureau for the 2020 decennial federal census as described by maps and publications of said Bureau. If any Census Tract, Census Block Group, or Census Block is omitted or listed more than once in this Article as a result of clerical error or omission, then it is the intent of the Board of Supervisors that the supervisorial districts be defined in such a manner as to not omit any area of Tulare County from a district and to comply with the standards of California Elections Code section 21500 and following, which require that supervisorial districts be substantially equal in population as may be. In order to carry out this intent, the Tulare County Registrar of Voters shall undertake necessary measures to ensure compliance with this paragraph in the absence of appropriate ordinance amendments.
(d)
Map. A map of the supervisorial districts as adjusted and established by this Article is attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference.
(e)
Term of Office. Pursuant to California Elections Code sections 21506(a) and (b), the term of office of any supervisor who has been elected and whose term of office has not expired shall not be affected by any change in the boundaries of the district from which the supervisor was elected. At the first election for county supervisors following adoption of the boundaries of supervisorial districts, excluding a special election to fill a vacancy or a recall election, a supervisor shall be elected for each district under the new district plan that has the same district number as a district whose incumbent's term is due to expire.
(Added by Ord. No. 3597, effective 01-06-22)