GALT, CA (MPG) - Galt City Council members were presented with their first set of potential draft district maps during a public meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 21, an important step in the city’s change from an at-large voting system to district voting. 

Here is why redistricting is happening, how it will be carried out and what some community members thought about the maps during the Tuesday meeting. 

What Draft Maps Were Presented? 

Elizabeth Stitt of Redistricting Partners presented two sets of three draft maps. 

The first three included five districts and the second set included four districts and an at-large mayor.

The maps were required to be relatively equal in size and compact, contiguous and maintain “communities of interest” with easily identifiable and understandable lines. Each district also is required to be within 10% population deviation from the others. 

All maps can be found online at the city’s website, cityofgalt.org, under the districting tab.

City Council members reiterated points made at previous council meetings about new homes being completed in the Liberty Ranch development in eastern Galt over the next few years that could potentially tip the population scales.  

According to city officials, some 500 to 600 homes could be completed over the next two years in the Liberty Ranch development alone. 

Stitt said the maps had to use 2020 census data but could consider future residents. 

“Even if you were doing this districting a few years from now, you would still have to use the 2020 census data,” Stitt said. 

Stitt said Redistricting Partners would return at the next meeting with maps that take Liberty Ranch and other future developments into consideration. 

Stitt also reviewed two maps submitted by former City Council member Thomas Malson. Stitt said the maps had to be slightly altered to bring them within standards for the FAIR Maps act due to the population disparities going over the 10% deviation threshold. 

Mayor Shawn Farmer said the maps were likely attempting to take into consideration future developments, namely Liberty Ranch. 

All but one district on Malson’s five-district map stretched across Highway 99. His four-district map, which Malson said was not his preference, included all districts stretching over Highway 99. 

Another key issue is whether the city keep its annual rotating mayor position or move forward with an at-large mayor. 

Both Council members Bonnie Rodriguez and Tim Reed said they were in favor of five districts without the at-large mayor, while Farmer, who was appointed to the post by his colleagues on the dais in December, said he was in favor of an at-large mayor. 

“One of the major concerns that I have is that it is going to create some divisiveness,” Farmer said. “If you have five districts than we are all beholden to our districts.” 

Vice Mayor Paul Sandhu agreed, adding that he wasn’t in favor of districts at all, but understood the legal reasons behind the move. 

“The majority of citizens in this city, and I think the majority of the council don’t want it; there was no reason to do this,” Sandhu said. 

Galt, like other California municipalities and government agencies, is redistricting after receiving a demand letter from the Malibu-based Shenkman & Hughes law firm in August. The letter claimed that the city’s current at-large voting system for the city of about 25,000 people potentially dilutes the ability of Latino voters to elect candidates for their choice or influence and election. 

Latinos make up nearly 43% of Galt’s population, according to 2020 U.S. Census data. 

The letter, which stands as a primer for a potential lawsuit, claims that the at-large elections violate the California Voting Rights Act of 2001, which attempts to prevent the disenfranchisement of protected classes. Protected classes under the law include voters of a certain race, ethnicity or other languages.

The letter gave the city 45 days to respond to the law firm with the intent to switch to district-based elections or face potential litigation and increased legal fees. 

No municipality has successfully defended itself against redistricting; the ones that have attempted to fight the lawsuit faced lengthy and expensive legal battles that city officials said the city of Galt could not afford in the chance it loses the case. 

Galt resident Chris Brossman said the map submitted by Malson was close to the map he designed but failed to submit before the submission deadline for consideration. 

Brossman said he hopes for two districts east of Highway 99 and two districts west of Highway 99 with a fifth district encompassing both sides of the highway. 

He said he feels like the process is being overcomplicated. 

“It’s really not that complicated; we have to go with four or five districts, one of the two and then we look at where the population lies,” Brossman said. “Where the population lies in another 10 years, someone else gets to redistrict it then. Let them worry about it.” 

Galt resident Ken Lee said he agreed with having districts that stretch across the Highway 99 freeway to bridge the older and new parts of Galt. 

“You can balance the longtime residents with the newer residents,” Lee said. “It’s a fairer way to gauge what is going on with the city.” 

Mark Jackson, who owns Next Generation Barbershop, questioned what would happen if a sitting council member opted to run for mayor. 

Interim City Attorney Frank Splendorio said they could run with a “safe seat,” meaning that if they lose, they will keep their seat. 

Another community member submitted written comments that if the city did move toward a “strong” mayor, the residents should consider moving to a charter city instead of a general law city.

A charter city has a locally adopted document that gives it more local control over its own municipal affairs. A general law city is governed entirely by state statutes and has limited power to deviate from those laws regarding local issues. 

Galt resident Paul Salinas asked the council to consider having an odd number of proposed elected district members and to avoid gerrymandering. He also added he would hope to focus on having an equal number of U.S. citizens, without considering political affiliations or ethnicity. 

Joe Bitondo, a longtime Galt resident, wrote in an email to the council that he was excited about the prospect of having council districts and encouraged the council to “keep an open mind about this and accept change.” 

“Change is not always bad,” Bitondo wrote. “For a long time, certain parts of town have been neglected. Now by having a council member who is responsible for that area and can be held accountable by the people is fantastic.”

The maps that were presented are drafts and not the final plan. 

Community members can submit their own maps and comments for consideration on the city’s website, under the districting tab. To be considered for the subsequent public meeting, the comments must be received seven days prior to the public hearing date. 

The next council meeting is Feb. 18. 

Farmer encouraged people to get involved. 

“It's a big deal that is really going to affect the community.” Farmer said.