From
Don Postell
Title
Ordinance amending the boundaries of city council districts
Presenter
Don Postell, City Attorney
Recommended Action
Approve
Analysis
The City of Grand Prairie is a defendant in the case of Victor Rodriguez v. The City of Grand Prairie, et al., No. 3:15-CV-0718-D, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, which sought 1) to create a system of all single member districts for city council; 2) eliminate staggered elections of city council members; and 3) allow election by plurality rather than majority vote. The City has reached agreement with the plaintiff to settle the case by redrawing the current single member district boundaries and thus preserve the at large election of the Mayor and two council members.
Financial Consideration
N/A
Body
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS, APPROVING THE REDISTRICTING OF THE CITY’S SINGLE-MEMBER COUNCIL DISTRICTS, ESTABLISHING NEW DISTRICT BOUNDARY LINES; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the City of Grand Prairie is a defendant in the case of Victor Rodriguez v. The City of Grand Prairie, et al., No. 3:15-CV-0718-D, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and
WHEREAS, the City and the plaintiff have reached an agreement to settle the case, and
WHEREAS, the settlement will end the litigation and will preserve the existing election system consisting of six single-member districts and two at-large council positions, and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that the attached city council district redistricting plan is in the best interest of the citizens of the City,;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED/ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS:
A. That the existing single-member council district boundary lines for the City of Grand Prairie are hereby amended, and the new districting plan depicted on the map attached hereto as Exhibit A, defining new districts, as such new districts are further described in the tables attached hereto as Exhibit B reporting populations and demographic statistics for each such new district, is hereby adopted and designated to define the City’s six single-member council districts from and after the Effective Date; that Exhibits A and B are incorporated by reference in and made a part of this ordinance, and shall be kept on file in the City Secretary’s Office.
B. That this ordinance shall take and be given effect immediately and that thereafter all City Council elections shall be held under and in accordance with the new single-member council district districting plan here adopted by the City Council until such time as a subsequent lawfully-enacted districting plan shall be adopted to replace this plan.
PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS ON THIS THE 14TH DAY OF JULY, 2015.