The Redistrict Lexington Committee is allowing in-person public comment at their next meeting, Wed., Oct 20. So what exactly is redistricting, why does it happen + how does it affect you? We’re breaking down all the district details you need to know.
The What
Based on information provided by the Decennial Census — which happens every 10 years — the city is required to redraw the boundaries of our 12 districts to account for population growth. Since 2010 — our population has increased to 322,570 — that’s 26,000+ new people.
Remember when Gov. Andy Beshear would remind us to fill out our census every day at 5 p.m. during his fireside chats?
So the city has created the Redistrict Lexington Committee. This committee is made up of 12 community members — one from each district — who were selected by their respective city council members. As a group they are tasked with thinking about Lexington as a whole while considering these 12 guidelines.
The most notable changes can be seen in districts 3, 7, 10 + 11. This map allows you to scroll multiple layers of information.
The Why
By law, the city has to have the same number of people per district — in our case about 27,000 — and as the city grows, the population gets concentrated in different pockets.
That’s why new district lines are drawn up every 10 years.
Redistricting is important because it allows each citizen to be properly represented within their neighborhood and community. These proposed changes will not go into effect until the 2022 election.
Want your voice heard? Show up to the meeting next Wednesday. If you can’t attend, comments are always welcome at redistrictlexington@gmail.com + will be read aloud at the meeting.
