Redistricting Would Split City

Mayor Kevin Mullin called on the California Citizens Redistricting Commission Monday to not split South San Francisco between two state Senate districts and two Assembly districts as proposed by the commission’s draft legislative maps.

In a letter drafted with input from the city attorney and city council, Mullin said the current boundaries would marginalize city voters.

“It would interfere with the City’s ability to advance its interests in a cohesive and efficient manner and the City of South San Francisco would be faced with the challenge of coordinating the efforts of two Assembly and two Senate Members who would likely have competing interests with the other communities that they represent,” the letter said.

The Redistricting Commission is redrawing Assembly, Senate, House of Representatives and Board of Equalization districts, adjusting for population changes reported in the 2010 U.S. Census.

The 14-member commission was created after voters approved Proposition 11, the Voters FIRST Act in November 2008.

Commissioner Cynthia Dai of San Francisco said the city’s concerns are the type of feedback the commission wants to hear.

“Part of the feedback we are looking for is where we got it right and where we need to tweak it some,” Dai said.

The commission held a public hearing last night from 6pm to 9pm at San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center.

The deadline for written testimony on the first round of maps is 5 p.m. Tuesday. Residents can submit written testimony to votersfirstact@crc.ca.gov, or by fax to 916-651-5711. 

Currently, South City fits completely within the 19th Assembly District, represented by Jerry Hill, and the 8th Senate District, represented by Leland Yee.

In the commission’s first draft, the city would be split roughly in half between two Assembly and two Senate districts.

“Some might suggest that having two senators or two assembly members is a good thing because it doubles our voice,” Mullin said. “I think we would be a lot better off keeping our population whole within a San Mateo County-based legislative district.”

For example, the North San Mateo Assembly district’s western border would be Chestnut Avenue in South City between Hillside Boulevard and El Camino Real. The city’s voters who live west of Chestnut Avenue would be in the West San Francisco-Daly City Assembly district, which is now Fiona Ma’s 12th District.

The Senate districts would have a similar split. San Francisco would have only one Senate district, which would include Daly City, Colma and western South San Francisco.

The city’s population east of Chestnut Avenue would be included in the new San Mateo district. The commission has proposed shifting Sen. Joe Simitian’s 11th District, which now stretches as far north as San Carlos, to run between Brisbane and Sunnyvale.

If South City had to share an Assembly and Senate district with San Francisco, Mullin said its political voice would be diluted.

“I really have a sense that if I was in a San Francisco dominated district and we happened to have the tail of that district be South San Francisco, the member may be responsive but our voice will not be as strong as say San Francisco,” he said.

Currently, Daly City is split between the legislative districts. “We are sort of the new Daly City,” he said.

Dai said the commission’s number one priority is leveling the populations for each district.

“In doing that we are going to split a lot of communities and counties as well,” she said. “It’s not going to be possible to make everyone happy.”

After considering public comment, the commission will release a second round of maps on July 14. 

The third and final round of maps will be released July 28, and the commission is expected to approve the maps on Aug. 15, said commission spokesman Rob Wilcox.