TYLER, Texas — The City of Tyler is hosting two Redistricting Open Houses this week to answer community questions on the redistricting process. The meetings will be Wednesday, Nov. 3 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Glass Recreation Center, 501 W. 32nd St. and Thursday, Nov. 4 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Tyler Police south station, 574 W. Cumberland Rd.
Community members that plan to attend either open house are asked to fill out a comment form ahead of time, so questions may be properly answered.
On Wednesday, Oct. 27, the City Council conducted the first of two public hearings and received public input on draft illustrative plan options for redistricting of single-member council districts based on 2020 Census data.
A deadline of Wednesday, Nov. 10 was set for the public to submit alternate plans for the City Council’s consideration. Public comments or alternate plan proposals for City Council consideration should be submitted in accordance with Resolutions R-2021-42 and R-2021-43 (adopted on Oct. 13), which contains a set of guidelines and criteria that will provide the City Council a means by which to evaluate and measure proposed plans.
The City Council will review all plans and evaluate how well each follows the set guidelines.
On Oct. 13, the City Council adopted redistricting criteria used by the City’s redistricting consultants as the framework for developing the City’s initial illustrative plan options. These illustrative plan options show proposed new boundaries for City Councilmember districts. The draft illustrative plans have been redrawn to attain proportionate representation in each of the six single-member districts and to comply with all applicable federal and state redistricting laws.
According to the 2020 census data, the City’s councilmember districts are not of sufficiently equal population and must be redrawn to comply with the “one-person, one-vote” principle established by the U.S. Constitution.
The City of Tyler is working alongside Smith County and the Tyler Independent School District on this process to increase coordination, transparency and ensure all obligations are met.