Revised redistricting map finalized, waiting on next public hearing and final approval in October

MADISON – At last week’s Madison City Council work session, Director of Development Services Mary Beth Broeren presented the third iteration of the redistricted map from Slaughter & Associates. Slaughter & Associates, the firm contracted by the city to draw up a new municipal district map, received feedback from the council and the public at the previous work session on August 14 and using that feedback drafted a new map.

“As you recall from your last public meeting with the consultant, you provided input, the public provided some input, and so, based upon those comments, the consultant prepared this Plan 3 which meets statutory requirements in terms of one person one vote,” Broeren stated at the work session.

Much of that feedback surrounded keeping neighborhoods intact in a single district. One such neighborhood was Park Meadow where Councilwoman Maura Wroblewski advocated to be kept together. Now in the new version, the neighborhood is all in District 1.

“I think it’s a great compromise. Thank you so much for getting Park Meadow all together. That was huge for that community,” Wroblewski commented.

Councilwoman Connie Spears likewise expressed satisfaction with the new map, “I think this is the best plan so far.”

Though Park Meadow was able to stay together, many other neighborhoods were split into different districts. Broeren explained that this was an unavoidable reality while prioritizing another piece of feedback that requested the under-sizing of high-growth areas, “It is a domino effect and trying to keep those districts where we’re going to have a lot of growth on the low end is a more important goal, I guess I will say, or at least that what it seemed, than keeping a neighborhood in one district.”

Thus, the biggest change in the third plan is its reduction of Districts 3, 4, 1 and 2 to negative percentages to allow for growth in response to the requests from council and citizens to accommodate future growth in high-growth areas.

This map is the finalized map that will be presented for the official public hearing on October 9 before being presented to the council for adoption at the October 23 council meeting.

The newest plan is available online at madisonal.gov.