Fort Worth’s attempt at redistricting is approaching a conclusion. Redistricting gives city officials an opportunity to create electoral districts that fairly reflect the demographics.
You get a chance to bend the Fort Worth City Council’s ear during Tuesday night’s final redistricting public hearing. (The meeting begins at 7 p.m.)
“This has been a long and intense process,” United Hispanic Council of Tarrant County Redistricting Committee chairman Fernando Florez said in a statement today. “City staff has done an outstanding job providing assistance and arranging meetings in an effort to resolve our differences.”
The city has eight districts. United Hispanic Council wants to see more “Hispanic opportunity” districts that reflect the city’s large Hispanic population (34 percent in the 2010 Census).
“This is a very important decision, which will affect the Hispanic population in this city until approximately 2023,” Florez said. “We are on solid legal ground with our maps and will fight hard to assure that an equitable redistricting plan is ultimately adopted because it’s about our future. It’s about our children; they need to have an equitable electoral system in place so they can have more opportunity to thrive in so many ways.”
If redistricting doesn’t fairly reflect the demographics, Florez has an answer to that as well.
“I love Fort Worth, but if it comes down to it we will take legal action against the city if the right plan is not adopted by the city council,” he said. “Of course, we are hoping that it doesn’t come to that.”
