Redistricting
*Please note: The board took action on April 18, 2023 and the County is currently updating the information and will make updates to this site as soon as available.
On December 14, 2021 the Board ultimately adopted Map I.D. No. 74786 "Adopted Map" which are the current supervisorial boundaries of the County Board of Supervisors.
Draft Maps & Publicly Submitted Maps
See the process of phasing in new Board Adopted Supervisorial Boundaries after redistricting
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On January 12, 2022, an organization called SLO County Citizens for Good Government, and three other individuals filed a lawsuit in San Luis Obispo Superior Court challenging the validity of the Board's approval of the Adopted map. On March 24, 2023, the County Board entered into a settlement agreement with Petitioners. In sum, the settlement agreement stipulates to a mechanism where the Court sets aside the Adopted Map and directs the County to consider the other maps which were previously considered during the 2021 redistricting process.
On April 4, 2023, an introduction of three ordinances each of which repeal the Suervisorial District boundaries established by Ordinance No. 3467 and each of which propose new boundaries based on three previously considered maps commonly referred to as Map A, Map B, and the Chamber Map will be introduced with a hearing date scheduled of April 18, 2023.
On April 18, 2023 the Board will consider Map A, Map B and the Chamber Map. The public may comment at the hearing set for April 18, 2023 at 9:00 am. (no comment on the ordinance hearing will be accepted during the morning session when regular Board Business will be heard).
Why is redistricting important?
Every ten years, supervisorial districts must be redrawn so that each district is substantially equal in population. This process, called redistricting, is important in ensuring that each Board of Supervisors member represents about the same number of constituents. Redistricting is done using U.S. Census data, which is usually released around March 31 of the year after the Census is conducted, but is expected to be delayed until September of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the County of San Luis Obispo, the redistricting process must be completed by December 15, 2021.
Redistricting determines which neighborhoods and communities are grouped together into a supervisorial district for purposes of electing a Board of Supervisor member. You have an opportunity to share how you think district boundaries should be drawn to best represent your community.
What criteria will be used when drawing district lines?
District lines will be adopted using the following criteria in order of priority:
- To the extent practicable, supervisorial district boundaries shall be geographically contiguous. Areas that meet only at the points of adjoining corners are not contiguous. Areas that are separated by water and not connected by a bridge, tunnel, or regular ferry service are not contiguous.
- To the extent practicable, the geographic integrity of any local neighborhood or local community of interest shall be respected in a manner that minimizes its division. A “community of interest” is a population that shares common social or economic interests that should be included within a single supervisorial district for purposes of its effective and fair representation. Communities of interest do not include relationships with political parties, incumbents, or political candidates.
- To the extent practicable, the geographic integrity of a city or census designated place shall be respected in a manner that minimizes its division.
- Supervisorial district boundaries should be easily identifiable and understandable by residents. To the extent practicable, supervisorial districts shall be bounded by natural and artificial barriers, by streets, or by the boundaries of the county.
- To the extent practicable, and where it does not conflict with the preceding criteria in this subdivision, supervisorial districts shall be drawn to encourage geographical compactness in a manner that nearby areas of population are not bypassed in favor of more distant populations.
Besides the above criteria, districts shall not be drawn for purposes of favoring or discriminating against an incumbent, political candidate, or political party.
General Public Comment
You may provide live public comments on the day of the Board meeting.
FAQs
Please visit https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/Departments/Administrative-Office/Contact.aspx for ways to contact the County to request information
Every ten years, the U.S. Census Bureau attempts to count every person living in the United States. The latest Decennial Census was conducted in 2020. The census provides a snapshot of how many people there are and where they live. Following the Decennial Census, San Luis Obispo County must divide its population into five reasonably equal Supervisorial Districts. This is called redistricting
As United States citizens, we have the privilege and right to elect our own representatives. As the County’s population grows, the Supervisorial boundaries must be adjusted to account for shifts in population and demographics to ensure that voters in each Supervisorial District have an equal voice in electing their representatives. The elected representatives are responsible for public policy and funding decisions that impact the lives of County residents, such as law enforcement, hospitals, public works, children and family services and public social services to name a few.
The redistricting effort will be conducted by a multi-departmental County staff team from the Administrative Office, Planning and Building , County Counsel, Public Works, Information Technology and the County Clerk/Recorder. The Board of Supervisors will ultimately vote after public hearings to consider draft maps and will approve final maps and a redistricting plan. The process will include public outreach and engagement of communities of interest during public hearings and workshops.
