University of Maryland
A group of City residents think City’s University of Maryland population was blown up in the recent Census result.
The group, called “redistricting commission” was appointed by the City Council and was asked to help redraw City’s new district boundaries based on latest City population.
Under the City Charter, every ten years, after the decennial census, the Council must appoint a redistricting commission to adjust the City Council districts and adjust the boundaries so that the four districts have approximately the same numbers of both long-term residents and registered voters.
The City’s redistricting committee has brought the Council’s attention to concerns that there are particular blocks (generally, student housing) where the census count is so high as to be impossible, and clearly exceeds the actual count on that particular block.
In order to make the count for redistricting purposes better reflect reality, theredistricting committee had asked for the ability to adjust the count on specific blocks downward, based on objective evidence of bed counts from the University of Maryland.
The City already has the ability to do this in cases where there is an obvious undercount or residents who were erroneously admitted for the census count, or for structures built since the census count. Because this matter needs to be handled quickly in order for the redistricting committee to proceed, the Council is considering passing this resolution without the usual notice and separate public hearing.
I hope to write another post on the proposals the redistricting commission has proposed. The Council will hold a public hearing on June 14 on the proposed redistricting changes.
[Source: NCP list-serve]