The Washoe County Board of County Commissioners met today in a special meeting to approve new commission district maps based on changes in population growth and distribution.
Washoe County’s population has grown by approximately 65,000 residents in the last decade, per the 2020 U.S. Census results, and Nevada law requires that the county consider redrawing the five Commission District boundaries to better reflect the change in population, a process known as reapportionment and redistricting. Nevada law states that Commission districts should be nearly equal in population as practicable.
Several options were presented to the public for feedback online and in person at the County Administrative Building and at area libraries. County Commissioners also considered the options and public feedback to determine the most equitable and efficient revision of districts.
Today the Commission approved map No. 6, which moves Wadsworth into District 5, the area represented by Commissioner Jeanne Herman and includes communities around Pyramid Lake and the county areas from Golden Valley northward. A key factor was to ensure that the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe land and the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony were contained in one district rather than split into two separate voting districts.
The approved map also moves Mogul and Verdi from District 5 into District 1, represented by Commissioner Alexis Hill. District 1 includes west Reno and Incline Village/Crystal Bay.
“This has come on the heels of the growth of our community. With growth we need to continue the balance of each commission district to ensure we have proper representation,” Chair Bob Lucey said. He later added: “Every Commissioner has a responsibility and duty to their public and their residents to ensure their issues are understood and addressed. We tried to provide a portion of the city and a portion of unincorporated county so there is a little bit of everything in each district.”
For more information on Washoe County’s population data and redistricting plans that were discussed and voted on today, visit: https://redistricting-2021-proposed-plans-washoe.hub.arcgis.com/.
