Every 10 years, new legislative districts are drawn to accurately represent the makeup of our communities. Districts are drawn based on the census numbers, which were recently released by the United States Census Bureau. Census numbers not only inform how our federal and state legislative districts are drawn, the data also informs what districts look like on the ward level.

The City of St. Louis is on the verge of a massive transformation. In 2012, voters approved an amendment to reduce the number of wards in St. Louis City from 28 to 14. The Board of Aldermen will be responsible for drawing and approving these new ward lines. How the maps are drawn this year will determine what our communities look like for the next decade. With both ward reduction and redistricting on the agenda at the Board of Alderman this year, it’s crucial that our communities know what's going on, and how to be involved in the process.

In order to ensure an equitable, community driven redistricting process, the Board of Alderman must:

• Ensure all meetings regarding redistricting are open to the public, recorded and accessible;

• Provide space and opportunity for public testimony at 75% of both committee and full Board meetings regarding redistricting;

• Make all criteria such as data, proposals, reports, etc. used to formulate plans or draw maps publicly available and easily accessible;

• Allow community maps to be submitted and presented before the Board; and

• Provide a comprehensive report accompanying the final map that justifies and explains the process by which the proposed map is drawn

The Board of Alderman and President Reed have a responsibility to the people of St. Louis to ensure this process is fair, community-driven and transparent. We will continue to demand this of them. Sign on to join us!