2022-07-06 ICGC Item 2 - Maribel Nunez

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BRAWN AND BLACK ..L1)1ti 1 RI{ T1 i• AL 1.I-k'•C1: Riverside City Redistricting Timeline Re: Inclusiveness, Community Engagement, and Governmental Processes Committee Agenda: #4 Communications Riverside City Staff update: Riverside City timeline update Dear Inclusiveness, CommunityEngagement, and GovernmentalProcesses Committee Chair: Cervantes Vice Chair: Perry Member: Conder My name is Maribel Nunez, Riverside City Ward 1 Resident and part of the Brown and Black Redistricting Alliance. I am writing a letter for today's Inclusiveness, CommunityEngagement, and GovernmentalProcesses Committee meeting 6/1/22 COMMUNICATIONS 4 Items for future Inclusiveness, Community Engagement, and Governmental Processes Committee When looking at city redistricting, local governments are required to review their current district boundaries and redistrict based on new population figures from the census. Brown and Black Redistricting Alliance wants to ensure that districts are drawn in a way that will keep communities together. Keeping communities whole, in a single political district, increases communities' ability to influence or even determine who gets elected to represent that district. This also makes it more likely that representatives will listen to the community and be responsive to its needs. According to the League of Women Voters California, While there are rules for state -level redistricting in California, similar criteria to guide decision-making, and requirements to ensure a transparent and open public process, do not necessarily apply at the local level. See the table of California Local Redistricting Rules (pdf link: https://Iwvc.org/sites/default/files/downloads/LWVC%20FairMaps%20California%20Local%20R edistricting%20Toolkit%2010-1-20.pdf ) It is referenced in Section VII below to check the rules for each form of local government. On behalf of the Brown and Black Redistricting Alliance, we want to ensure the city prioritizes the Voting Rights Act and Fair Maps Act. According to the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), All government entities must include required data, related to 1