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LWV ABC Blog

LWV ABC Drafts Anoka County Commissioner Redistricting Maps

4/12/2022

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Opportunity for Fresh Look at Commissioner Districts in Anoka County?

County redistricting is the next step following the new congressional, legislative and municipal maps that were drawn earlier this year following the release of 2020 census data. Deadline for completion is April 26. The Anoka County Board will have a special meeting on April 26 to announce their redistricting plan. The Board held a workshop on April 12 to discuss draft maps prepared by County staff.  No public input was sought by the Board in developing draft maps, and the process for their development was not a matter of public record.  


LWV ABC learned that another redistricting meeting held will be held on Monday April 18 at 11 AM in room 710 in the Anoka County Courthouse, at  2100 3rd Ave,, Mail to 325 E Main St, Anoka, MN 55303. This room is right across from the elevators. We encourage everyone that possibly can to show up and show their support for listening to the public.  
​
Existing Anoka County Commissioner Districts
​prior to 2022 Redistricting 
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Despite the Board's not seeking public input, the League of Women Voters ABC (Anoka, Blaine, Coon Rapids area) prepared their own draft maps to propose to the Anoka County Board. These were submitted to the Board Chair and County Administrator on April 9 via email.  At the April 12 workshop, the Commissioners did not fully review the draft maps that LWV ABC had provided to them.   Nor was any opportunity allowed for the LWV ABC members present at that meeting to present the maps to the Commissioners at this work session.   

The LWV ABC Observer Corps has been working to observe and report on Anoka County Government Actions since 2019.  For more information, see the LWV ABC Observer Corps webpage.
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League of Women Voters ABC (LWV ABC) has been studying Anoka County’s communities and geographical features and based their draft maps on this data.  The LWV ABC plan provides a new outlook recognizing the differences in communities and combines communities of interest.   Here are the basic tenets that were followed in developing the LWV ABC maps: 
  • In each map, one commissioner would be guaranteed to reside in either of our largest cities, Blaine and Coon Rapids.
  • Our unique rural north region would have a commissioner. Our maps avoid the possibility of many districts electing commissioners residing in rural areas which could create a county board with more rural commissioners than the population warrants. 
  • Cities with strong river city identities such as Anoka and Fridley, have representation that is not overly divided and thus diluted.  
  • Andover as the third largest city is not overly divided to dilute representation.   
  • Anoka’s southeast cities would have a commissioner. Cities in this area were developed at similar times and share many natural amenities and transportation corridors. 
In the League’s submission to the Anoka County Board (attached, following), LWV ABC President Gretchen Sabel noted that “A new plan is superior to modifying the current plan at its edges. Decades of slightly modifying districts have overly divided cities and eroded communities of interest.”  

League members observe that Scott County has alternate maps posted now on their website and requests public input before coming up with a plan. Without this opportunity, LWV ABC members reviewed census data, new precincts and proposed their own maps to meet concerns of their members.  

 
LWV ABC was encouraged to provide input when talking with Board Chair Scott Schulte about public input to redistricting at the April 2021 meeting of LWV ABC   The LWV ABC Redistricting Committee engaged in a rigorous process with strong membership support. LWV ABC members reside in all areas of the county. We think our thoughtful, sensible plan serves our county residents well, whether they reside in a large city, river city or rural area. ​
lwv-abc-version_a__1_.pdf
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lwv-abc-version_b__1_.pdf
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commisioner_districts_plan_a__2_.pdf
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commissioner_districts_plan_b__1_.pdf
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lwv_abc_letter_4-9-22_anoka_co_board.pdf
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    LWV ABC serves most of Anoka County and the city of Champlin in northern Hennepin Couny, Minnesota.  

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