The Sacramento City Council has taken another step toward asking voters to create a redistricting commission.
The council approved the language of a ballot measure Tuesday night, but it will likely wait until this summer to put it on the ballot.
Assistant City Attorney Matt Ruyak presented about a dozen changes to the proposal to the council, including the priorities a commission would consider when drawing new districts.
“The number one criteria to be used after the constitutional and Federal Voting Rights Act criteria that would otherwise be required is that it would be existing neighborhoods and community boundaries,” Ruyak said.
The commission would be comprised of 13 people. It would draw new districts every decade after the federal government releases results of a new census.
The commission would be required to properly represent all minority groups in the city.
Currently, the city council draws its own districts.
In 2011, then-council members Steve Cohn, Kevin McCarty and Sandy Sheedy ignored several options presented by an advisory commission and drew their own district lines.
The city says a new commission would cost at least $600,000.
If the measure goes to a public vote, a majority would be required to pass it.
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