Supervisors approve changes to voter districts
More than 1,000 Tuolumne County residents are no longer represented by the same county supervisor as they were a week ago following the completion of the 10-year redistricting process on Tuesday.
The county Board of Supervisors approved a final updated map that shifted some of the supervisorial district boundaries, which is required after each decennial U.S. Census to account for changes in population.
Most boundaries of the five districts remain identical to the previously approved map following the 2010 Census, with only minor changes in some areas largely to better equalize population distribution or reduce division among geographical areas (see list at end of the story for all of the changes).
Only minor changes were needed to the current boundaries of the districts this time around because there was relatively little change in the population, from about 51,727 in 2010 to 53,008 in 2020. Those population totals do not include inmates at Sierra Conservation Center state prison in Jamestown.
California law requires, to the extent possible, that each supervisorial district must share a common border with the next; maintain the geographical integrity of neighborhoods, communities, or cities in a manner that minimizes division; easily identify boundaries that follow natural or artificial barriers, such as rivers, streets, highways and railroads; and encourage geographic compactness.
Boundaries also can’t be drawn for the purpose of favoring or discriminating against a political party.
District 1 is currently represented by David Goldemberg; Dis
trict 2 by Ryan Campbell; District 3 by Anaiah Kirk; District 4 by Kathleen Haff; and District 5 by Jaron Brandon.
The changes approved by the board on Tuesday are as follows:
• 416 residents in the Brentwood Park area were moved from District 2 to 3 for the area to be included with the identified community of Twain Harte.
• 186 residents in the Ridgewood Drive area were moved from District 1 to 2 so the whole Ridgewood subdivision will be represented by one supervisor as opposed to being split between two districts.
• 22 residents in the Silver Dawn Drive area were moved from District 4 to 1 for the area to be included with the identified community of Phoenix Lake.
• 186 residents west of Sawmill Flat Road in Columbia were moved from District 1 to 5 so the Columbia College campus and dorms will be within the same district.
• 146 residents in the area from Nashua Road to Jamestown Road were moved from District 5 to District 1 so the Racetrack Estates subdivision will be represented by one supervisor as opposed to split between two districts.
• 13 residents in the Dragoon Gulch area were moved from District 5 to 1 because the area was annexed into the City of Sonora and must be within the same district.
• 23 residents in the area from Black Oak Road to Overlook Drive and Cornucopia Road were moved from District 4 to 3 in order to help equalize population distribution among districts.
• 18 residents in the area from Yosemite Road to Fitch Ranch Road were moved from District 4 to 3 in order to help equalize population distribution.
• 22 residents in the area from La Grange Road to Sierra Railroad moved from District 5 to 4 in order to help equalize population distribution.
• 37 people in the area of Parrotts Ferry Road and Highway 49 were moved from District 1 to 5.
Contact Alex Maclean at amaclean@ uniondemocrat.com or (209) 588-4541.