Santa Fe Municipal Redistricting

After Friday's blog entry on new electoral procedures being used for the first time last year, it came to our attention that the city of Santa Fe will be implementing yet another reform in the coming months: an independent redistricting commission.

City voters approved a charter amendment last year requiring independent redistricting commissions (no doubt in part due to the vindictive nature of the council's previous redistricting, in which one councilor was districted out of his seat).

The city is wasting no time in implementing the procedure. Having just annexed areas in the southwest part of what is now the city, new boundaries for council districts need to be drawn before the 2016 municipal election.

Members of the commission need to be registered city voters, and applications are due today. Seven members will be selected, and their work will be finished by June.