The city of Fullerton is now accepting applications for seats on a commission formed to provide options for a new map to define Fullerton’s 5 council districts. Fullerton’s current map dates to the City’s adoption of district-based elections in 2016, but maps of City districts are required by State law to be re-examined every ten years following the national census. Data from the 2020 census will be available in late September.

Fullerton’s current council district map.

On August 17 the Council chose to form an advisory-only commission to review proposed district maps and make a recommendation to the Council for a selection rather than empower the commission to make the final decision itself. Nonetheless, many members of the public urged the Council during its following regular meeting on September 21 to appoint an independent  commission with full power to choose a new district map without a Council vote.

The Council’s September 21 agenda called for it to define the size of The Redistricting Advisory Commission (RAC), how appointments to it would be made, and decide what, if any, restrictions would be placed on eligibility for its membership. The Council debated whether the commission should consist of five members, each appointed by a Council member, or number as many as nine in total. They reached a compromise that calls for a commission of five directly appointed members who will themselves appoint an additional two members at its first meeting.

Fullerton residents aged 18 and older may apply to the RAC at this link on the City’s website: https://fullerton.granicus.com/boards/forms/145/apply.

Members of the RAC “may not be an elected official of the local jurisdiction or family member, staff member, or paid campaign staff of an elected official of the local jurisdiction,” according to the City application site. The Council rejected a provision that would have restricted RAC members from personally running for council for 5 years following the termination of the Commission next year. The RAC will be subject to the provisions of California’s Brown Act.  Applications are due by 5:00pm October 4.

The final date for the Council to approve the new map is April 17, 2022, but not before a minimum of four public hearings must be held, two conducted by the commission prior to recommending a proposed map or maps, and two conducted by the Council to consider the recommended map(s).