SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane City Council members approved an updated redistricting map based on 2020 census data.
The new map passed by a vote of 4-2 during Monday night's legislative session.
According to the city, the map is one of four selected by the city's volunteer redistricting board after public comment from town hall meetings, online surveys and discussions with the Community Assembly and Neighborhood Councils.
“This updated map strengthens and keeps our neighborhoods together, ensuring that all neighborhoods are equally represented on Council and reducing confusion for neighborhoods that were previously split between districts,” said Council Member Betsy Wilkerson. “Listening to the people who live in those most impacted neighborhoods only reaffirmed that this map will serve our community best.”
The new map makes the East Central, Riverside and West Hills neighborhoods, previously split between two council districts, whole. The city says this aligns with the revised code of Washington's call to “preserve existing communities of related and mutual interest.”
“The Redistricting Committee had the RESPONSIBILITY to make a recommendation, which was done at city Council meeting October 24," Spokane Redistricting Board Chair Rick Friedlander wrote in a written statement. " At that point our work was done. The City Council has the AUTHORITY to decide which if any of the options we put forward will be used in this round of redistricting. I trust them to complete this task. I truly appreciate the work done by the Redistricting Board and I regret this process has taken such a political turn,” said Council Member Karen Stratton. “My support of the updated map is in response to those neighborhoods that do not want to be split.”
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