GALT, CA (MPG) - Galt City Councilors voiced concerns Tuesday evening during the second of five public hearings intended to provide guidance on the city’s state-mandated requirement to switch from at-large council elections to per-district elections. 

The city was notified in August that it would need to move to district elections or potentially face litigation under the California Voting Rights Act, which requires municipalities and other government bodies to create district elections in the hopes of avoiding potential voting imbalances caused by at-large elections. 

After the change, voters in the 26,000-person town will only be able to vote for candidates who live in their district, as opposed to the current system where voters can vote for any candidate up for election. 

The city’s consultant, Paul Mitchell, the Sacramento-based redistricting firm Redistricting Partners owner, provided the presentation and discussed the guiding principles of redistricting or in this case, “districting.” 

Some council members voiced uneasiness with the process following the presentation. 

Councilman Shawn Farmer, who was elected mayor earlier during the meeting, said he was concerned that drawing district lines would further divide the city and would encourage councilors to advocate for more funds and services for their own districts as opposed to the rest of Galt. 

Farmer called the process anti-democratic and likened it to the Electoral College, where different states receive larger attention from presidential candidates due to unbalanced electoral votes. 

Farmer also said he’s concerned that residents would be left without another representative to bring their concerns    if someone runs unopposed.

“We are going to be compartmentalizing our decisions instead of thinking about the community as a whole, which is a tragedy in my opinion,” Farmer said. 

While similar concerns were raised in other jurisdictions, Mitchell said, how the council opts to govern would have to come from “the culture of the council.” 

“It is an issue and it is something that people have gone to the legislature about,” Mitchell said. “The legislature is kind of deaf ears to it.” 

Under the Fair Maps Act, agencies are required to promote district maps that are relatively equal in size, contiguous, maintain “communities of interest” and are easily identifiable and understandable, while following natural or man-made boundaries. 

The city is also required to keep districts compact and avoid considering candidates or political parties. 

The maps will be created from 2020 Census data that measured the city population at 25,704. The boundaries will then be reevaluated every 10 years for population and demographic changes, starting in 2031. 

Galt resident Chris Brossman agreed with Farmer’s concerns during the public comment period and said the process was decisive and could cause consternation for his fellow residents.

Brossman said he didn’t understand why the city needed to make the change, outside of facing potential litigation.

“Truthfully, as I see, the only one winning out here are lawyers and tonight, all I heard was a bunch of gobbledygook,” Brossman said. “I see it as divisive but the reality is that the legal system is driving us down that road.”

City Council members remained undecided on whether the council should consist of four councilors and a strong mayor or a five-person council that includes a rotating mayor every year. 

Councilman Mathew Pratton said he would still be in favor of a five-person council, with a rotating mayor, while Farmer and Vice-Mayor Paul Sandhu said they would prefer a four-councilor system with a strong mayor. 

“At least you have that one at-large position that would be acting on the entire behalf of the city as mayor,” Farmer said. 

Councilwoman Bonnie Rodriguez said it could be too expensive to have a mayoral election every two years but was still undecided on the issue. Councilman Tim Reed also said he needed more time to consider the matter.  

Mitchell said he intends to return Jan. 21 with two sets of three draft maps, one that would include four council districts and an at-large mayor, and another set that would stick to the current structure.  

The fourth meeting, which Mitchell said was the most important of the five, is currently unscheduled. That’s when the public can provide more opinion and narrow down a list of possible maps. The fifth and final hearing is also currently unscheduled. 

The councilors requested more community input to help the council make the decision. 

To give input on the districting process, email [email protected] or go to cityofgalt.org/government/clerk-administrator-and-elected-city-clerk/district-elections. 

The next City Council meeting is at 6 p.m. Jan. 21 at Galt Council Chambers, 380 Civic Drive.