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Politics & Government

City Council Has Close Vote on Ward Redistricting Plan

Committee meets goal of completing task prompted by census figures.

With a 6-5 vote, Cuyahoga Falls City Council on Monday chose a map and accompanying legal description creating new ward boundaries that will remain in effect until after the 2020 U.S. Census.

Councilman Don Walters said each of the city’s eight wards is experiencing geographical boundary changes, some small and some big. When it comes to residents being reassigned to different wards, though, the changes are minimal.

“As far as population shifts, it’s very minor throughout all the wards. Every ward changed a bit, but very few people were displaced,” Walters said.

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The biggest geographic change is in Ward 5, which nearly doubled in land size by extending north all the way to Boston Township.

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The city’s charter requires that council redistrict wards – if warranted by decennial census figures – to ensure they are “substantially equal in population” while keeping ward representatives within the districts to which they were elected.

In September, council appointed Walters, Jerry James and Jeff Iula to an ad hoc redistricting committee charged with tackling the project. They got the job done before the charter-required deadline of Jan. 1 – but not without some respectful dissent during a few meetings in November.

The ad hoc committee met seven times in September and October and Walters, as chairman, drafted “Plan A,” which was supported by James. Iula had concerns about population shifts associated with the plan so he and Councilwoman Mary Ellen Pyke drew up “Plans B, C and D.”

During a Nov. 21 council committee meeting, the pros and cons of various plans were discussed before it was decided that “Plan A” would be forwarded to council for a vote.

“We could argue every single point of every map,” Walters said that night. “I stated from day one I felt that we didn’t have … a crystal ball regarding imminent growth. No one can predict what will happen in 10 years.”

On Nov. 28, council tabled the topic with little discussion as a legal description was needed before a vote could be taken.

With little public discussion during its special meeting on Monday, council chose Walters’ original plan, which will go into effect once the legislation is signed by Mayor Don Robart.

Prior to council’s 6-5 vote, Walters summarized the redistricting process by explaining that the ordinance is a compilation of many hours of research and debate.

“The one thing we learned was that there is no perfect proposal, but the committee’s selection before us surpasses all the goals of the charter without any of the political division of 2001,” Walters said. “I encourage bipartisan support to move us through the next decade with the residents in mind as opposed to the political posturing of the past.”

Voting in favor of “Plan A” were Walters, James, Kathy Hummel, Mark Ihasz, Vince Rubino and Diana Colavecchio. Voicing dissent with their votes were Iula, Pyke, Carol Klinger, Ken Barnhart and Terry Mader.

The new ward designations will be in effect prior to the March 6 primary election. Walters said precinct assignments within wards will be determined by the Summit County Board of Elections.

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