SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - The Sioux Falls Districting Commission, charged with determining new voting boundaries for council elections, has settled on one option.
The commission has scheduled two open houses for public input and an overview of the preferred plan.
The commission has dismissed two of the original five options offered and has adopted Option F as its preferred plan. The two remaining plans will be available for comparison.
Option F moves precinct 1-8 from the Southwest to the Northwest District, moves precinct 1-2 from the Southwest District and precincts 3-7 and 3-8 from the Northwest District to the Central District, moves precinct 5-15 from the Central District and precinct 2-4 from the Southeast District to the Northeast District.
The commission is required because the City’s population increased by more than 15% since the last redistricting. Redistricting last occurred in 2011, following the decennial census. At that time, the population was 153,888; in January of this year, the City announced a current population estimate of 178,500, an increase of more than 15%. That increase triggers redrawing voting districts.
The public open houses are set for Thursday, June 15 at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, June 17 at 10 a.m., and both with be at Carnegie Town Hall.
The Sioux Falls City Council has the final say on election boundaries.