Santa Fe City Council districts would have a more equal distribution of population under new boundaries being considered by city officials. Just how the districts might be reshaped remains uncertain, but a decision is due this summer.

Brian Sanderoff, president of Research and Polling Inc., on Wednesday walked city councilors through four options.

The Albuquerque firm, which has completed hundreds of redistricting plans on every electoral level from Congress to public schools, crafted the maps so each of Santa Fe's four districts would contain about 16,937 residents.

He said new districts also must avoid diluting minority voting strength and be contiguous and compact.

Boundaries need adjustment because the 2010 census showed the city is growing on its southwestern edge and shrinking on its north side.

Under the current scheme, council District 3 includes the southwestern tip of the city and moves in a thin line nearly all the way into the downtown along the west side of Cerrillos Road. But that configuration means it now has about 29 percent more residents than it should if all districts were equal.

Two proposals labeled as major conceptual changes (Plan C and Plan B) would shrink that district to a more compact form so that it would stretch no farther south or west than Lopez Lane or Rodeo Road.

Other proposals would break up the Tierra Contenta subdivision, which is currently inside District 3. Two proposals would redraw that neighborhood into District 4 (Plans C and D), and another proposal would divide the neighborhood between Districts 3 and 4 (Plan B). The same situation could pop up for two other neighborhoods.

Another question for councilors is whether the north-side District 1 should encompass homes in the eastern foothills and the St. John's College area. Although those regions currently are in District 2, one proposal (Plan C) would move them into District 1.

District 1 currently has 17 percent fewer residents than the ideal population, and District 2 is underpopulated by about 8 percent. District 4 is close to having the right number of residents, about 4 percent less than ideal.

Councilor Miguel Chavez, who has represented District 3 on the governing body for three terms, said he favors options that keep District 3 in the most compact shape even if they change historic boundaries. He noted that his district has a low voter turnout in municipal elections and asked whether that should be considered.

"The one-person, one-vote theory doesn't always play out in this district because you may have people who are of voting age but who do not have legal status to vote," he said.

Several councilors asked how the city could factor in planned annexation of thousands of acres in the next several years.

Sanderoff said state laws require the city to only consider territory that is already part of the city's jurisdiction at the time district lines are drawn. The city could redraw boundaries again before the 2020 census, he said, if voters petition for redistricting.

Councilor Chris Calvert, who represents the north-side District 1, said he wants the council to choose a plan that requires the least adjustment after annexation. "Let's try do avoid doing things drastically twice," he said.

Several councilors also noted that a plan involving major boundary changes appears to shift from District 3 to District 4 the problem of having a stretched-out district.

District 4 Councilor Ron Trujillo said he is concerned about packing Hispanic voters into Districts 3 and 4 under some scenarios, but said he wants to hear public feedback before he picks a plan. Currently, District 3 is the only district in which Hispanics of voting age outnumber Anglos of voting age.

Another factor officials are weighing is how redrawing the boundaries would affect incumbent councilors up for re-election in March. Sanderoff said courts have ruled that officials can take into account during redistricting how they would maintain the existing core of a district as well as where elected officials reside.

PUBLIC INPUT

Four community meetings on City Council redistricting proposals are planned:

Wednesday: 5:30 p.m. at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center, 3221 Rodeo Road

June 23: 5:30 p.m. at the Santa Fe Public Schools Administration Building, 610 Alta Vista St.

June 28: 5:30 p.m. at the Southside Branch Library, 6599 Jaguar Drive

June 30: 5:30 p.m. at the Main Library, 145 Washington Ave.

The city Public Works Committee also expects to hold a public hearing at 5:15 p.m. June 27 at City Hall. The Finance Committee plans to discuss redistricting at 5 p.m. July 5. A final City Council public hearing and vote could come as early as July 27.