Willmar, Minn., City Council sets hearing on redistricting ordinance
WILLMAR — The Willmar City Council voted Tuesday to hold a hearing March 19 to take comments from the public on an ordinance that will redistrict the city’s four wards.
The ordinance would shift about 3.9 percent of the city’s population into different wards and precincts to meet equal representation requirements.
The shifting is the result of the 2010 Census, which the Constitution requires be conducted every 10 years to determine the number of representatives to Congress for each state based on the population.
Census numbers are also used to provide equal representation for every state, county, and municipality. The census found that Willmar’s population grew 6.87 percent from 18,351 in 2000 to 19,612 in 2010.
Due to significant growth in Ward 1, which covers everything north of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway tracks, the population distribution in the four wards is skewed.
Cities such as Willmar, which has four wards, are required to redistribute the population into the wards as equally as practicable, said City Clerk-Treasurer Kevin Halliday.
The ward population counts proposed by Halliday are close to the mathematical goal of 4,903 in each ward: 4,901 in Ward 1; 4,899 in Ward 2; 4,906 in Ward 3; and 4,906 in Ward 4.
Halliday gave to council members the city map depicting the new ward and precinct boundaries. At the Feb. 6 meeting, the council voted to proceed with the proposed map and to post the redistricting proposal on the city’s website for public comment.
Halliday said the city must conduct by April 2 a hearing on the ordinance distributing the new wards. Halliday recommended, and the council approved, his recommendation to direct City Rich Ronning to draft the ordinance describing the new boundaries in compliance with state law and municipal code.
Halliday said Ronning’s task will take a couple of weeks and will be accomplished within the timeframe to hold the hearing.
Mayor Frank Yanish asked Halliday to explain why the city must redistrict first before the Kandiyohi County Board of Commissioners redistrict.
Halliday said the state concluded its redistricting job Tuesday, but Willmar is not affected because the city is not divided by congressional districts.
The city must divide its precincts first so the county commissioners can divide their populations as equally as possible, said Halliday.
“We have somewhere from 2.2 to 2.5 commissioners inside Willmar. They need to make their populations balance by our division and it comes first. We must have ours concluded by April 2 and they have theirs the first meeting in May,’’ Halliday said.