San Francisco Redistricting Debate Continues at City Hall

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) -- The San Francisco task force charged with drawing new neighborhood district maps met Saturday to make final changes that will determine the boundaries of city neighborhoods. They also listened for hours to public comment from residents advocating for different neighborhoods to be included in certain districts.

"I get that these maps are scary and they really hurt me and affect me as much as you guys. I want you know that," said J. Michelle Pierce, a member of the redistricting task force.

The task force was set to approve a draft of a new map to be approved by the Board of Supervisors, with another vote required next week. Throughout the process, people have lined up inside City Hall to share their concerns about the changes proposed to the map. Many more also called in to participate in meetings virtually.

"You're cutting off many of the Black voters and people who understand the struggles and the hardships we have experienced," said Yulanda Williams, the president of Officers for Justice. She worries about changes to District 10 that would divide the Black vote into different districts.

Redistricting is required every 10 years based on the latest census data. The ideal population for each district is 79,545, according to 2020 census results that show a significant change in the number of people living in different parts of the city.

While seven districts are below that ideal population, the other four have slight increases above that standard. District 6, however, has a population of 103,564 -- more than 30 percent above the ideal.

"The only thing that I've gotten out of this is that, when it comes to my community, I have failed you miserably," said Rev. Arnold Townsend, the chair of the redistricting task force.

While the process begins with a set of data, in the final weeks emotions have been running high, with passionate speeches coming from members of the task force and the public. There have also been concerns with how members have handled their assignment. some organizations have accused them of favoring the rich.

"She would much rather prioritize the wealthier communities' input and needs over ours," said Laiwa Wu of the Chinese Progressive Association.

That feeling was shared by others who were in the hearing room Saturday. Those frustrated with the results of the mapping process said they would support delaying the finalization of the new districts or would push city leaders to change it after the map is complete.

"They have definitely been prioritizing the affluent over the marginalized," said Curtis Bradford with the Tenderloin People's Congress.

Accusations of gerrymandering and special interests were made by the public throughout the meeting Saturday. Some members of the task force acknowledged areas lacking attention in the district-drawing process.

"We constantly have these conversations about protecting the lowest denominator, making sure we have equal access and fair representation," said Lily Ho, another member of the redistricting task force.