Redistricting: Push Away the Outdated Boundaries

Editor,

This Thursday, Alameda County Board of Supervisors will consider boundary changes to the five districts from which Supervisors will be elected for the next ten years. 

The Supervisors currently select their own district boundaries, unlike the State of California whose independent commission of 14 California residents draw the district boundaries for Congress and State Legislature. By law, district lines may not be drawn to protect incumbency or political parties.

Our supervisors wield significant power, particularly in unincorporated communities, where they serve as our municipal government. Alameda County’s most recent budget was $3.6 billion. Unincorporated areas contribute additional revenue to the County budget as their sales and property taxes are not siphoned off to city governments. A recent review of former Supervisors indicates that few, if any, have ever been elected from the unincorporated areas. 

The Supervisors’ preferred map (Map A) would keep district boundaries largely unchanged from 2011–     status quo. This approach is not in keeping with the spirit of the recently enacted FAIR MAPs Act. It does not reflect the majority of community input, nor is it reflective of the growth that has pulled population towards East and South county. As currently proposed, Map A would focus 60% of the representation on the portion of the county that contains 25% of the population. 

The FAIR MAPs ACT prioritizes keeping communities of interest undivided so that common industry, strengths and needs can be respected and supported. Castro Valley has much in common with its unincorporated neighbors in the Eden area (Ashland, Cherryland, Fairview, Hayward Acres, San Lorenzo) and even the cities of Hayward and San Leandro. These are communities with which we share civic spaces - whether they be our school, recreation/park, sanitary, and/or health districts, or direct links through community and social connections. By placing Castro Valley in a district that includes Pleasanton and portions of Oakland, Map A does not reflect the commonality and historical ties of the Eden Area communities. 

Provide feedback at the public hearing this Thursday, December 2, at 6:00pm about the draft maps. Join by Zoom at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/94629974851 and review proposed maps including Map A alternatives at https://redistricting2021.acgov.org/maps/ 

We need community voices to push the Board of Supervisors away from the outdated boundaries that were carefully tailored for their political advantage and dilute the voices of residents in the central (Eden area), southern, (Tri-Cities) and eastern Alameda County (Tri-Valley).

–Penelope Anne Hughes, Castro Valley