Detroit Evening Report: Redistricting process begins for Detroit City Council

Detroit’s Law Department has submitted three proposed changes to Detroit’s seven city council districts to reflect the 2020 Census data.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Law Department provided a memo to council members in May 2022 detailing the legal requirements for redistricting the city’s council districts based on the results of the latest Census, per Detroit’s City Charter. The department recommended that council members review and adopt the new district boundaries — which must be compact, connected and relatively equal in size — by January 2024. The districts should also respect political subdivisions like voting precincts.

While the three redistricting options proposed by the Law Department vary, they each fulfill the requirements set forth by the city charter. The first option prioritizes even boundaries along major roads over exactly equal population. The second option prioritizes equal population over even boundaries— with some of the boundaries more irregular than the first option in order to achieve the least difference in population between districts. The third option aims to keep District 5 as close as possible to its current boundaries as the first two options change it more extensively than the remaining districts.

City council is holding a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the proposed redistricting options. 

WDET Reporter Laura Herberg contributed to this report.

Other headlines for Monday, Nov. 13, 2023:

• Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced Thursday that 27 organizations have been selected to serve as entrepreneurial hubs across the state, providing comprehensive resources and support to Michigan’s small businesses.
• November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to honor the traditions, stories and sovereignty of Native American communities — including Michigan’s 12 federally recognized tribes.
• Turkish Airlines is set to open its 13th U.S. gateway in Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Nov. 15, connecting midwest travelers to more than 340 destinations in 129 countries and five continents.
• More than 20 businesses are taking part in this year’s Downtown Detroit Markets at Cadillac Square, open to holiday shoppers Nov. 9 through Jan. 7. 

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.