Tuesday Last Day to Comment on King County's Redistricting Proposal

The last chance for the public to comment on redistricting plan that keeps Mercer Island paired with the Eastside is on Tuesday, Nov. 1.

An early proposal released in June offered the , but that plan didn't gain traction in the end. Under the proposal on the table for approval, Mercer Island would remain in King County District Six, currently represented by . Hague is locked in a tight re-election with Mercer Island's .

The biggest change to District Six appears to be the shift of Kirkland's Finn Hill neighborhood to District One, in exchange for Kirkland's Kingsgate area and southern Woodinville.

By law, council district boundaries must be redrawn after each U.S. Census to make each district as nearly equal in population as possible. The target population for each 2011 Council district is 214,583. All districts in the proposed plan are within one-quarter of one percent of the target, according to the county’s website.  

“Under the law, the new district boundaries must be compact, contiguous, and composed of economic and geographic units. To the extent feasible, the districts must correspond with the boundaries of existing municipalities, election precincts, census tracts, recognized natural boundaries, and preserve communities of related and mutual interest. Population data may not be used for purposes of favoring or disfavoring any racial group or political party. A final plan must be approved by January 15, 2012,” according to the county.

The County Charter places sole responsibility for redistricting with the independent, citizen Districting Committee. Four members were appointed by the King County Council in January: Rod Dembowski, John Jensen, Sally Nelson, and Sally Poliak.  

The last chance for the public to comment on the plan is at a public hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 6:30 p.m., in the County Council chambers on the 10th floor of the county courthouse at 516 Third Ave. in Seattle.

You can also comment online via the committee’s website athttp://www.kingcounty.gov/operations/districting/testimony.aspx, but comments are due by Tuesday, Nov. 1.

Details about the plan can be found on the committee’s website:http://www.kingcounty.gov/operations/districting.aspx.