Georgetown Texas Government

Redistricting 2021

Updated: Jan. 4, 2022

Summary

City Council approved a new Council District map on Dec. 17, 2021. The new map goes into effect on January 1, 2022 prior to the candidate filing period for City Council elections in May 2022.

A new interactive council district map and PDF council district maps are now available.
The new Council District map and a new population summary by district after redistricting are linked below.

Council District map approved Dec. 17, 2021
Population summary by district approved Dec. 17, 2021

New Council District map approved Dec. 17, 2021: 

City Council District map

Williamson County Elections Department will mail out new voter registration cards in January 2022 to all active registered voters with new City Council District numbers, new County voting precinct numbers, and other state and local districts that may have changed.

Below is background information on the redistricting process as well as agendas and links to video for special redistricting City Council meetings.

Background

In fall 2021, City Council conducted the process to rebalance the population in the city’s seven council districts, which is known as redistricting or reapportionment. The redistricting process happens after every decennial census. Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta, a law firm with expertise in redistricting, was hired by City Council to advise them during the redistricting process.

The 2020 Census Georgetown population as of April 1, 2020, was 66,880, which is a 41 percent increase in population from 47,400 people in the 2010 census. This means that the ideal council district is now 9,554, which is the total of 66,880 people divided by seven single-member districts. See the current City Council district maps at maps.georgetown.org.

The table below shows the 2020 Georgetown population numbers for each district and the percent deviation from the ideal district with 9,554 people before and after the redistricting process.

2020 Census population before redistricting 2020 Census population after redistricting
District Persons Deviation Persons Deviation
1 8,731 -8.62% 9,552 -0.02%
2 9,127 -4.47% 9,654 1.04%
3 10,771 12.73% 9,551 -0.03%
4 7,181 -24.84% 9,522 -0.34%
5 10,630 11.26% 9,654 1.04%
6 6,988 -26.86% 9,433 -1.27%
7 13,452 40.80% 9,554 -0.42%

Exact equality of population is not required for local political subdivisions. However, a total population deviation of no more than 10 percent between their most populated district and the least populated district was the goal.

Public redistricting meetings

City Council meetings on redistricting were open to the public and broadcast on the City’s website and on GTV cable channel 10. Members of the public were able to comment in-person at the meetings held at the Council and Court Building, 510 W. Ninth Street. These were the special redistricting meetings:

  • Oct. 26: Present initial assessment and approve redistricting criteria
  • Nov. 9: Illustrative plan and first drawing workshop
  • Nov. 23: Public hearing and second drawing workshop
  • Dec. 3: Special meeting and third drawing workshop
  • Dec. 14: Public hearing and first reading of an ordinance to adopt Plan C Revised
  • Dec. 17: Special meeting and second reading of an ordinance to adopt a new council district map

The final plan was approved on second reading on Dec. 17, 2022 in advance of Jan. 19, 2022, when candidates will begin to file for the May 2022 City Council elections.

Public involvement

During the redistricting process, members of the public were able to submit a redistricting plan that complies with guidelines adopted by City Council. Any submitted plan was required to be a complete plan showing the configuration of all districts and not just a selected one or several, and plans submitted for consideration were required to follow the adopted redistricting criteria.

To submit a redistricting plan for Georgetown or to submit comments on redistricting, residents were asked to send an email to redistricting@georgetown.org. Comments or plans submitted are public record and will be shared with City Council. No comments or plans were submitted to the email during the redistricting process.

People can direct any remaining questions to pio@georgetown.org.

Special City Council meeting Dec. 17, 2021

At a special City Council meeting at 4 p.m. Dec. 17, council approved the second reading of an ordinance to adopt the new city council district plan. There was an opportunity for public comment at the meeting.

New Council District map (Plan C Revised)
Dec. 17 meeting agenda cover sheet | Dec. 17 meeting video

City Council meeting Dec. 14, 2021

At the regular City Council meeting at 6 p.m. Dec. 14, council approved the first reading of an ordinance to adopt Draft Plan C Revised for new city council districts. There was an opportunity for public comment at the meeting.

Dec. 14 meeting agenda cover sheet | Dec. 14 meeting video

City Council meeting Dec. 3, 2021

At the Dec. 3 special City Council workshop, council met and reviewed redistricting Plan C Revised, which can be viewed via the link below. The meeting agenda posting below includes redistricting Plan C.

Plan C Revised
Dec. 3 workshop agenda cover sheet | Dec. 3 workshop video

City Council meeting Nov. 23, 2021

At the Nov. 23 City Council workshop, the council reviewed and gave input on redistricting Plan B, which can be viewed in the agenda posting below.

Nov. 23 workshop agenda cover sheet | Nov. 23 workshop video

City Council meeting Nov. 9, 2021

At the Nov. 9 City Council workshop, council gave initial input on a map to rebalance the population for the seven City Council Districts. Bickerstaff used the input from council to draft a new map that was presented at the council workshop Nov. 23.

Nov. 9 workshop agenda cover sheet | Nov. 9 workshop video

City Council meeting Oct. 26, 2021

The council approved redistricting criteria at its Oct. 26 workshop meeting. These include:

  • Use of identifiable boundaries (e.g., roads or rivers)
  • Using whole voting precincts, where possible and feasible; or, where not feasible, being sure that the plan lends itself to the creation of reasonable and efficient voting precincts
  • Maintaining communities of interest (e.g., traditional neighborhoods)
  • Basing the new plan on existing districts
  • Adopting districts of approximately equal population
  • Drawing districts that are compact and contiguous
  • Keeping existing representatives in their districts
  • Adjusting to comply with the Voting Rights Act and the Shaw v. Reno Supreme Court case

According to prior Supreme Court rulings, a governmental body must consider race when drawing districts if it is to comply with the requirements of the Voting Rights Act; however, if race is the predominant consideration in the process, the governmental body may be subject to a racial gerrymandering claim.

Workshop agenda cover sheet and presentation
Workshop video
Regular meeting cover sheet

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