Redistricting meeting scheduled
El Paso is working on redrawing the eight districts to come into compliance with the Voting Rights Act.
From one census to the next, the city has grown by 100,000 residents — most of them living in East El Paso. The state of Texas must adhere to the Voting Rights Act when it comes to mapping out the districts, so city officials are currently working on redrawing the boundaries so each district has 81,000 residents.
Emma Acosta, who represents the Lower Valley and parts of East El Paso, said the boundaries of District 3 are changing, along with Districts 5, 6 and 7. Acosta is holding several meetings for her constituents to discuss the proposed maps and get feedback.
“Obviously we want public input to find out what the community wants, to make sure that we don’t break up neighborhoods and keep neighborhoods intact,” Acosta told ABC-7 Tuesday. Acosta gave an example of fracturing in her district, where the San Juan neighborhood would be divided between districts if one of the maps is adopted.
Acosta’s office is holding several meetings leading up to the city council decision later this month. One is planned for Wednesday at the San Juan Senior Center at 5701 Tamburo Court. It begins at 6:30 p.m.
The next meeting is Tuesday, July 17 at the Multipurpose Center at 9031 Viscount Blvd. That one is at 5:30 p.m.
City Council is scheduled to finalize the redistricting process on July 23 during a special meeting.
