Check out the Wichita redistricting board’s recommendations for new City Council maps

After considering at least 25 different options, the committee charged with recommending new Wichita City Council district maps has settled on two to present to the council.

Both options endorsed by the seven-member Commission of Electors prioritize keeping neighborhood associations from being split up while not drastically altering existing district boundaries.

The City Council can accept or amend the commission’s recommendations or reject them and create their own maps.

District boundaries are redrawn every 10 years based on new U.S. Census data. From 2010 to 2020, Wichita’s total population increased by 15,164 people, to 397,532, with District 2 in east Wichita gaining the most new residents.

Community input guided the commission’s efforts to keep neighborhood associations from being split between multiple city council districts.

“I noticed that a good portion of these maps actually — I’m going to use the word ‘eviscerate’ the Eastridge Neighborhood Association,” Faith Martin told the commission on Aug. 17, speaking on behalf of the east Wichita neighborhood that stretches from Rock to Woodlawn and Kellogg to Harry.

“We are a proud neighborhood that has a lot of socioeconomic diversity, racial diversity, ethnic diversity, age diversity. And we don’t want to be split up,” Martin said.

Both recommended Map A and Map B, approved at the Aug. 24 meeting, keep Eastridge in District 2. Neither option splits up any new neighborhood associations, and they both consolidate the south-central Schweiter East neighborhood — currently split between Districts 1 and 3 — to just District 3.

“If we’re going to protect one [neighborhood association], then my values and principle set is that we should be more inclined to ensure that we protect all of them,” said Lamont Anderson, who was appointed to the commission by District 5 council member Bryan Frye.

Both maps would also shift the Linwood and Schweiter neighborhoods from District 1 to District 3, which is projected to have the lowest population growth of any district between now and 2035, according to city data.

The highest population increases are projected to be in east Wichita’s District 2 and west Wichita’s Districts 4 and 5.

Districts are to be redrawn as close to evenly as possible. The 5% standard deviation threshold means each new district can have no more than 69,568 residents and no fewer than 60,542.

In order to satisfy that requirement, the commission recommends shifting several precincts. Maps A and B call for moving precincts 212 and 213 in east Wichita from District 2 to District 1, moving precinct 101 in south-central Wichita from District 1 to District 3 and moving precinct 538 in far west Wichita from District 5 to District 4.

Map A, proposed by District 1 Brandon Johnson’s appointee, Joseph Dozier, would shift three additional precincts — 216, 254 and 626 — to District 1.

Map B was proposed jointly by Anderson of District 5 and Javan Gonzales, who was appointed by District 6 council member Maggie Ballard.

Map A was recommended 6-0 by the commission, with Mayor Brandon Whipple’s appointee, Marcey Gregory, abstaining. Map B was recommended by a vote of 4-3 with the support of Anderson, Gonzales, Gregory and Janet Johnson, who was appointed by District 3 council member Mike Hoheisel. The second map was opposed by Dozier, as well Becky Tuttle’s District 2 nominee, Patrick Penn, and Jeff Blubaugh’s District 4 appointee, John Whitmer.

“I’m concerned that the city council will disregard our maps, throw them out and draw their own,” said Whitmer, a conservative radio host and former state legislator.

“I don’t want them to think, oh well, they bickered about it. Let’s throw them out and write our own. I want them to know that we actually set aside our differences and agreed on one map. If we don’t send that message and let them know, look, a bunch of people who disagree on certain things and come from different backgrounds, including a right-wing partisan radio host, put aside our differences and agreed on a map, then it’s easier for them to disregard our intentions.”

The formation of the election commission stirred some controversy in July when Whipple took issue with the appointment of Whitmer as well as Penn, a Republican state representative, and Dozier, who previously worked for the Texas Republican Party.

“I’m honestly embarrassed,” Whipple tweeted after the appointments. “Our city of Wichita redistricting committee has more people who have spent their professional lives working against LGBTQ rights than any other board.”

The mayor’s subsequent attempt to add four more women to the heavily male commission failed by one vote at the City Council.

The Commission of Electors’ proposed district maps will be presented to the city council during a Sept. 27 workshop.

But public input will first be collected through each district advisory board. The District 3 and 5 DABs will review the proposed maps Wednesday night and the District 1, 2, 4 and 6 advisory boards will do the same next Monday.

New boundaries must be finalized by the city council ahead of the Dec. 31 deadline.