5 Districts Chosen for the 2018 Election

It may remain a mystery how Dana Point got targeted with the CVRA threat just in time for the 2018 election and why its response time was shortened by 30 days. Most residents prefer current, at large voting, where they vote for all the council members instead of just one council member for their district. At the May 1 City Council meeting, the council chose Tan Map VI with 5 districts for the 2018 election.

http://www.danapoint.org/home/showdocument?id=26209

Districting is unfair to all Dana Point residents. It is doubly unfair to over 13,000 residents in two of the five Tan VI districts whose voters are excluded from the 2018 election, since only three more councilmen can be elected at that time. Council member Lewis did not support 5 districts, voicing a preference for four districts with an at large mayor. That option would have allowed the residents of all districts to vote at least once in this and future elections.

District 4 in the Tan VI map is excluded from the 2018 election because Council members Lewis and Wyatt reside there with terms that do not expire until 2020. In choosing which three of the remaining four districts could vote in the 2018 election, the fair approach would have been to hold a random drawing. Instead, Councilmen Viczorek and Muller chose the two districts where they reside and selected district 3 as their third choice. That eliminated district 5, Capo Beach. Mr. Tomlinson voted with them to exclude Capo Beach where he resides.

Should residents expect self-serving Council decisions as a result of districting? Unfortunately, districting has eliminated the ability for all Dana Point residents to hold the Council members accountable. For those residents who can vote in 2018, please elect candidates with outstanding character and those you can trust to do what is best and fair for residents of the entire city.

photo credit: unsplash.com

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