FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contact: Ruth Ruiz, (714) 765-5060 office, (714) 420-7797 mobile
COMMUNITY INVITED TO SHAPE ANAHEIM’S FUTURE AND PROVIDE INPUT TO DRAW CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS
ANAHEIM, Calif. (May 5, 2015) – Anaheim residents are encouraged to participate in community meetings and Shape Anaheim’s Future. Anaheim’s current At-Large electoral system will, for the first time, change to a By-District system made up of six districts. Participants will provide input and insight into where the City Council voting boundaries will be drawn.
The first of a series of meetings will be held Tuesday, May 12, at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, 200 S. Anaheim Blvd., 1st floor.
“We encourage our residents to make the time to attend and participate in these important meetings,” said Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait. “This is a unique time in Anaheim’s history, and the first in more than 150 years for residents to participate in changing our electoral system. Residents will have opportunities to present their ideas to a panel of retired judges, including submitting maps with suggestions for district boundaries. We welcome our community members’ taking part in shaping Anaheim’s future.”
Public input from the meetings will be reviewed by an Advisory Committee composed of five retired Superior Court judges – James Jackman, Nancy Wieben Stock, Stephen J. Sundvold, Thomas Neal Thrasher, and Edward J. Wallin. The public and Committee will have the assistance of an expert demographer at each meeting. The Committee will make its recommendation to the City Council by October 6. The Council will hold public hearings and make the final determination by the end of this year. The new districts will take effect for the November 2016 elections.
The Advisory Committee meetings will be broadcast online and Anaheim’s local cable Channel 3. Visit www.anaheim.net/districts for more information.
For more information on the City of Anaheim, please visit www.anaheim.net.
###
ABOUT ANAHEIM –The City of Anaheim, founded in 1857, is one of the nation’s premier municipalities and is one of California’s most populous cities. Anaheim covers 50 square miles with more than 348,000 residents and more than 2,900 City employees. The municipal corporation’s annual budget is $1.6 billion. Anaheim supports a thriving business community with companies such as: Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc.; L-3 Communications; Pacific Sunwear; and Disneyland Resort. Successful sports franchises call Anaheim home, including: Angels Baseball; Anaheim Ducks; the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team, and the 2012 Olympic Games Silver Medal winning U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team. Anaheim also boasts world-class meeting and entertainment venues with: The Anaheim Convention Center, LEED-certified and the largest on the west coast; Honda Center; City National Grove of Anaheim; Anaheim GardenWalk; Angel Stadium of Anaheim; and ARTIC (Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center). In addition, Anaheim embraces its vibrant cultural arts community, including the world-renowned Anaheim Ballet. Annually, Anaheim welcomes more than 21 million visitors to the City, truly making it where the world comes to live, work and play. For more information, please visit www.anaheim.net.
Given the level / quality of public participation in Anaheim political decisions, (look up the voter REGISTRATION RATE, let alone election turnout! or watch Council Chambers EMPTY OUT after all the gratuitous “Awards” have been presented!) more participation will be received if they hand out Pre-Drawn Maps (Small Difference!) and crayons, and tally the entries to decide WHAT COLOR the resulting districts will be on the Final Map!