News Release
Santa Paula, CA – The City of Santa Paula is in the final stages of its district formation process, which will establish the boundaries of City Council voting districts. The City Council will adopt a new map in accordance with the FAIRMAPS Act and use public input received throughout the past six months to guide their decision.
Residents are encouraged to draw their own maps, share their district line preferences and provide feedback on draft maps to ensure their neighborhoods are represented. Draft maps submitted by community members and processed by the City’s professional demographer can be accessed and reviewed on the City’s districting website at DrawSantaPaula.org/Draft-Maps.
Residents can provide input at the upcoming districting public meetings:
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January 18, 2023 – City Council will hold its third public hearing during the regularly scheduled City Council meeting. The City’s demographer will present the draft maps and public input received by January 6, 2023. Members of the public will have an opportunity to provide feedback on draft maps and share their input on preferred district boundaries.
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January 21, 2023 – The City of Santa Paula will hold another community workshop to give residents an opportunity to review draft maps and share their input on map elements they agree or disagree with.
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February 15, 2023 – City Council will hold its fourth public hearing during the regularly scheduled City Council meeting. The City’s demographer will present the final draft maps being considered and the City Council will select a map for adoption.
Community members can also submit feedback on draft maps and other public comments via email to [email protected].
“Our primary goal during the districting process is to ensure the new district voting lines respect communities and neighborhoods as much as possible,” said Mayor Andy Sobel. “We are looking to our fellow residents and community members to share their feedback with us so we can ensure the end result is truly representative of our entire community.”
Residents still have time to draw a map for consideration by the City Council. Paper and online mapping tools and tutorials are available at DrawSantaPaula.org/Draw-A-Map for residents to access at their convenience. The final deadline to submit a map as part of the City’s districting process is February 1, 2023. Draft maps can be submitted to [email protected].
Santa Paula is undergoing the districting process to protect the City from financial and legal risks. In February 2022, the City received a letter challenging the City’s current election system and asserting that the City’s at-large election system violates the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA).
To learn more about the City’s district formation process, visit DrawSantaPaula.org.
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