HomeMy WebLinkAboutR-2014-118 Redistricting - Proposed Plan and Map; Proposed Injunction (Montes v. City of Yakima) RESOLUTION NO. R- 2014 -118
A RESOLUTION authorizing Francis S. Floyd, the City's outside legal counsel, to submit a
proposed remedial redistricting plan and map and a proposed injunction
for the court's consideration in Montes, et al. v. City of Yakima, et al.
WHEREAS, the City of Yakima has been directed by the court in Montes, et al. v. City of
Yakima, et al. to submit a proposed remedial redistricting plan and map and a proposed
injunction that remedies the violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act found by the court;
and
WHEREAS, after lengthy and careful deliberation and consideration of various political
issues, the City Council will propose a plan that contains five single- member districts and two at-
large positions, with each position subject to four -year terms; and
WHEREAS, attached to this resolution is a redistricting map that incorporates the
redistricting plan referenced herein; and
WHEREAS, one single- member district will have an eligible voter population that is more
than fifty percent Latino, which would address the court's concern that Latinos do not have an
equal opportunity to elect their candidate of choice under the current system; and
WHEREAS, another single- member district will have an eligible voter population that is
more than one -third Latino, allowing Latinos to influence the outcome of elections in that district;
and
WHEREAS, to maximize Latinos' ability to elect their candidate of choice, no incumbent
will reside in either district referenced in the two paragraphs above; and
WHEREAS, the City Council's proposed plan subordinates incumbency protection to
other interests and, as a result, four incumbents will reside in one district and two incumbents
will reside in another district; and
WHEREAS, the total population of each of the five districts will be as nearly equal as
practicable; and
WHEREAS, the City Council's proposed plan adheres to traditional redistricting criteria,
including geographical compactness, contiguousness, and the avoidance of splitting precinct
boundaries wherever possible; and
WHEREAS, only voters residing within the geographical boundaries of one of the five
single- member districts will be permitted to vote in the general and primary elections for that
particular district, while every eligible voter in the City will be permitted to vote for the at -large
candidates; and
WHEREAS, all candidates seeking one of the two at -large positions will appear on a
single list on the general election ballot; no primary election will be held for the at -large
positions; each voter will have only one vote and may cast that vote for any candidate on the
list; the candidate who receives the most votes will be elected to the City Council as Mayor,
regardless of whether he or she receives a simple majority of the votes; and the candidate who
receives the second -most votes will be elected to the City Council as Assistant Mayor,
regardless of whether he or she receives a simple majority of the votes; and
WHEREAS, the existing Council- Manager Plan of City Government will not be
eliminated or modified under the City Council's proposal, and
WHEREAS, the City Council believes that preserving some at -large seats on the City
Council serves very important political goals and allows for effective governance by offering
impartial representation that is concerned with issues affecting the entire City and avoids having
a Council that is composed exclusively of Councilmembers who are elected by, and therefore
representative of, limited geographical areas and narrowly localized interests;
WHEREAS, the City Council's proposed injunction will prohibit any future City Council
elections from taking place under the current election system, but will allow the current
Councilmembers to serve out the remainder of their terms to avoid the extremely disruptive
effect of election invalidation and premature termination of elected officials' terms; and
WHEREAS, under the City Council's proposed injunction, four of the five district seats
will be contested in 2015, and the fifth district seat and the two at -large seats will be contested
in 2017; and
WHEREAS, the City Council authorizes Francis S. Floyd, its outside legal counsel, to
take all other necessary steps to bring the City's proposed remedial redistricting plan and map
and a proposed injunction in compliance with the court's interpretation of Section 2 of the Voting
Rights Act; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF YAKIMA:
The City Council authorizes Francis S. Floyd, the City's outside legal counsel, to submit
the proposed remedial redistricting plan and attached map and a proposed injunction in
accordance with the terms outlined above.
ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL this 30 day of September, 2014
04/`‘
Micah Caw y, Mayor
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