By Giana Magnoli, Noozhawk Managing Editor | @magnoli
March 11, 2021
| 3:33 p.m.
The 11-member redistricting commission was created by a voter-approved ballot measure and is tasked with drawing new boundaries for the five county supervisor districts.
Four firms initially submitted proposals to be the commission’s legal counsel, and members interviewed three of those firms in early February: Nielsen Merksamer Parrinello Gross & Leoni LLP; Scott Rafferty; and Strumwasser & Woocher LLP.
Commission members voted to hire Strumwasser & Woocher, and the majority of the Board of Supervisors voted to approve the $200,000 contract after discussion.
Attorney Mark Meuser representing The Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business sent a letter to the county threatening litigation if the Strumwasser & Woocher contract was approved.
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By Kasey Bubnash
The 11 members of Santa Barbara County’s Citizens Independent Redistricting Commission have officially been chosen, and although the commission isn’t perfectly representative of the population that inhabits this county, it’s more diverse than when the selection process started.
FIRST FIVE
Laura Katz, William McClintock, Norman Bradley, Cary Gray, and Glenn Morris (left to right) were the first five members of the Santa Barbara County Citizens Independent Redistricting Commission.
FILE PHOTO COURTESY OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
At a meeting on Dec. 14, the first five commissioners, who were randomly selected for their positions in October through a lottery system, announced the applicants chosen to fill the commission’s six remaining seats, the conclusion of a months-long and controversial selection process.
» Norman Bradley and James Hudley for the Third District.
» Cary Gray and Lata Murti for the Fourth District.
» Glenn Morris and Jannet Rios for the Fifth District.
» Benjamin Olmedo of Solvang as an at-large member.
In the past, the Board of Supervisors had the final say in district boundaries, but Measure G created the Citizens Independent Redistricting Commission in 2018.
This 11-member group is tasked with drawing new boundaries for the five supervisorial districts, using U.S. Census 2020 data. Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
The new Citizens Independent Redistricting Commission will develop new boundaries for the five Santa Barbara County supervisorial districts. The current map, seen here, was developed by the county itself. (Santa Barbara County photo)
The last six members of the Santa Barbara County Independent Redistricting Commission were selected Monday by the initial five members after a last-minute substitution in the proposed slate to increase Latino representation.
Commissioners unanimously approved the final slate even though the vote to substitute Benjamin Olmedo, who did not receive a vote of recommendation in determining the initial slate, for Kevin Ilac, who had received four votes of recommendation.
Interim Chairman and 5th District Commissioner Glenn Morris cast the dissenting vote to substitute Olmedo for Ilac on the list of six members to bring the commission up to its full complement of 11.
Santa Barbara County Independent Redistricting Commission faces difficult task Monday lompocrecord.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from lompocrecord.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.