HomeMy WebLinkAbout36. Schedule Special Council Meeting to Amend City
City of Oshkosh
City Hall, 215 Church Avenue P.O. Box 1130 Oshkosh, WI 54903-1130 920.236.5000 http://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council
FROM: Jessi L. Balcom, City Clerk
DATE: March 18, 2022
RE: Request for Special Meeting of the Council to Approve Amendment of City
Ward Maps due to New Legislative Congressional Maps
State statutes require cities such as the City of Oshkosh to adopt a municipal voting ward plan,
establishing voting districts and select a polling site for each district. Upon completion of a
federal census, municipal wards, county supervisory districts and districts for election of state
and federal offices are reviewed and may be adjusted to maintain proportionality of votes
between the various legislative and congressional districts to assure equal representation in
the legislative branches of government.
In August 2021, the United States Census Bureau delivered redistricting data to the State of
Wisconsin based upon the 2020 census. Upon receipt of the census data, by Resolution 21- 532
adopted in October 2021 the City of Oshkosh adjusted its wards and districts taking into
consideration the updated census, the County’s updated supervisory districts and the
information available at that time from the State of Wisconsin.
At the State level the Wisconsin constitution gives the Legislature the first chance to redraw
the maps after a federal census. The maps drawn by the Legislature must then be approved by
the Governor. On November 11, 2021, the legislature passed its proposed redistricting plans.
One week later, the governor vetoed the legislation. The legislature failed to override the
Governor’s veto.
Although the responsibility to adopt new state district boundaries lies initially with the
Legislature subject to the Governor’s approval, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, in response to a
petition of a group of voters issued an order on November 30, 2021 noting that the Legislature
and Governor were not able to reach an agreement on maps and inviting the submission of
maps to the Court under criteria that the Court established which very generally would
minimize the changes from current law, meet state and federal requirements and minimize the
Court’s involvement in making what it characterized as political and policy choices. On
March 3, 2022 the State Supreme Court issued an order adopting redistricting maps for the
State.
State Statute requires municipalities to adjust municipal ward boundaries to coincide with the
state’s established legislative and congressional districts. Under the statute, the Common
Council must approve an amended resolution to account for these changes by April 10, 2022.
The April 10 deadline also requires the new GIS information to be updated to the WISE-
Decade system and allow the Wisconsin Election Commission to have all updates completed
in WisVote prior to April 15, which is when candidates may start circulating nomination
papers.
These requirements along with a list of wards requiring amendment were communicated to
municipal and county clerks on Thursday, March 17, 2022. The Wisconsin Elections
Commission has scheduled a webinar on Wednesday, March 23 to review the redistricting
requirements and answer questions.
Due to the quick required turnaround, staff is requesting that the Common Council schedule a
Special Council meeting to adopt the amended wards prior to April 10 as required by state
law.